Shipping traffic through Strait of Hormuz drops after attacks

Shipping data indicates that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz saw a further decline at the start of this week, following a surge in attacks across the Middle East.

According to Reuters, preliminary figures from analytics firm Kpler on Tuesday showed that only four ships passed through the strait on Monday, down from ten the previous day.

The agency noted that these figures do not include some vessels that may have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off to avoid detection.

Meanwhile, satellite images from TankerTrackers, a specialist oil tanker tracking firm, taken yesterday, showed two-way daytime movement of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) through the Strait of Hormuz.

The images also revealed that larger volumes of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are being transferred via ship-to-ship (STS) operations in the Gulf of Oman.

In the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Kpler data indicated that 21 cargo vessels transited on Monday, down from 28 the previous day.