Strait of Hormuz Vessel Transits Plunge Amid Tensions

Vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz reduced significantly to seven on Thursday, down from an average of 15. The U.S. blockade on Iran has halted exports since July, amid escalating tensions. In Yemen, Iran-aligned Houthis advanced, seizing strategic locations on the Red Sea coast.

Vessel traffic at the vital Strait of Hormuz experienced a marked decline, as only seven ships transited the strait on Thursday, a stark drop from the previous day's 11 and the 10-day average of 15 transits. This data was released by Kpler on Friday.

Notably, among those seven vessels, two exited the strait, including one Panamax ship carrying fertilizer and another in ballast. Meanwhile, the strait had entries from five vessels, featuring a Panamax with dry bulk cargo, two Handysize ships with steel and grains respectively, a medium-range tanker with dirty petroleum products, and a Supramax vessel with additional dry bulk goods.

This decrease occurs against the backdrop of a U.S. blockade reimposed in mid-July, halting Iranian crude oil exports. As tensions rise, Iran-aligned Houthis took control of Yemen's Mocha port city. Simultaneously, 26 vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a slight change from the previous 10-day average.