U.S. Blockade and Iranian Attacks Reduce Hormuz Traffic to Seven Vessels

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to seven vessels on Wednesday, the first full day of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran. The count marked a steep decline from 23 vessels the prior week and 47 the week before that, according to Kpler data.

An average of 138 ships had passed daily before the conflict began, the Joint Maritime Information Centre reported. U.S. Central Command said it disabled the Curacao-flagged VLCC Belma, an unladen oil tanker heading toward Kharg Island in Iran.

American forces fired Hellfire missiles into the vessel's smokestack after it ignored multiple warnings. On the same day four empty vessels entered the Gulf, including three small oil tankers and a dry bulk carrier for grains. Three vessels exited the strait carrying liquefied petroleum gas, coal and fuel oil.

A Suezmax tanker carrying one million barrels of Saudi crude exited the strait on Tuesday with its transponder switched off, Kpler data showed. Fighting resumed after Iran attacked three commercial vessels on 6 July for using a shipping lane near the Omani coast instead of Iranian-approved routes.

An interim peace deal agreed on 17 June had proposed that Iran share management of Hormuz shipping with Oman, after which vessel numbers rose to 63 on 25 June.

The United Arab Emirates is investing in infrastructure on its eastern coast to bypass the strait. Saudi Arabia is considering expansion of a crude oil pipeline through the Red Sea.