Shipping traffic slows in Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatens US retaliation

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed this week after Iran warned on Monday it would retaliate against any new US attacks.

Data from Kpler, cited by Reuters, showed that only seven cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, down from eight the previous day.

Iran had earlier cautioned that energy infrastructure across the Gulf region was at risk, including US interests in the oil and gas sector.

Goldman Sachs raised its forecasts for Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude prices for December 2026 and for 2027, predicting that shipping disruptions in the Middle East could persist into next year. Meanwhile, traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another key shipping route, increased.

Kpler data showed that a total of 29 commodity vessels passed through Bab al-Mandab on Monday, up from 17 the previous day.