Hormuz traffic drops off as vessel attacks raise fresh concerns

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz persisted at a reduced level after attacks on two ships raised fresh concerns about the ability and willingness of shipowners to traverse the waterway.

- Bloomberg

A handful of vessels made open transits over the weekend, according to tracking data. Among them, two very large crude carriers (VLCCs) made their way into the Persian Gulf without cargoes, while a French-flagged container ship and two laden oil tankers left the inland sea, the data show.

Despite the drop in observed transits at the weekend, traffic was still higher than for most of the US-Iran war. That trend—of more shipowners willing to pass through Hormuz—has picked up since Washington and Tehran said earlier this month they had agreed on an interim plan to reopen the strait.