Strait of Hormuz Remains Shut to Almost All Non-Iran-Linked Ships

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most international shipping as the conflict in the Middle East enters its second week. Current vessel tracking data shows traffic through the key maritime chokepoint has largely halted, with movements mostly limited to Iran-linked vessels.

In the past 24 hours, inbound traffic to the Persian Gulf was reported to be at a standstill. Outbound activity was minimal, consisting of two bulk carriers and a small number of Iran-linked vessels, including a supertanker, a container ship and a bulk carrier.

The strait is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, connecting Gulf energy producers with global markets. However, recent missile and drone attacks on merchant vessels have led many operators to suspend transit through the area due to security concerns.

Maintaining an accurate picture of maritime traffic has also become increasingly difficult. Signal interference and ships switching off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders have made real-time tracking unreliable.

Many vessels leaving the Gulf are believed to keep their transponders switched off until they are well clear of the high-risk area. As a result, ship positions may only reappear on satellite tracking data several days after departing the region.

Similarly, vessels entering the conflict zone may also avoid broadcasting their locations, meaning actual traffic levels may be higher than current tracking data suggests.

Despite occasional crossings, the majority of the global shipping fleet remains positioned on either side of the Strait of Hormuz until maritime security improves.

By: gCaptain