Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic drops below 10-day average
Preliminary data shows only four major tankers and carriers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, well below the recent daily average of around 13 vessels.
Key Takeaways
AIPreliminary shipping data released on Wednesday showed that only four vessels carrying essential goods passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from 10 vessels the previous day and below the 10-day average of about 13 ships.
According to Reuters, initial figures from Kpler, a ship tracking specialist, indicated the four vessels included a very large crude oil tanker, a Panamax, a Kamsarmax, and a medium-sized tanker. Of these, one vessel was entering the strait while three were leaving.
The United States launched a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian interests on Tuesday, prompting a response from Tehran in what has become the most serious escalation between the two countries in weeks. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that the US attacks would lead to a "tightening of the closure" of the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, 18 vessels carrying essential goods transited the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday, another key Middle Eastern shipping lane, with seven ships entering and 11 exiting. This compares to a 10-day average of about 24 vessels passing through Bab al-Mandab.