Ship transits across the Strait of Hormuz fell by half on Sunday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it had closed the key waterway in response to Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon.
The number of ships crossing the strait fell to 17 on Sunday, down from 35 recorded a day before. That came after the IRGC said the strait was closed to shipping, the latest data from Kpler shows.
Many vessels sailed after turning off their tracking transponders so they could not be detected. They were carrying crude oil, as well as general cargo, and were transiting in either direction.
Some of the vessels took the route stipulated by Iran to pass through the strait. The routes taken by other vessels are unknown.
The strait is vital to energy exports from the Arabian Gulf, with more than 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas and crude oil passing through the waterway each day before the start of the Iran war in February.
Tehran agreed to keep the strait open after agreeing to a deal with the US last week. That led to an increase in shipping traffic, with 25 vessels crossing the waterway on the first day of the agreement.
Kuwait and Iraq also announced plans to increase output after the strait reopened. However, traffic has not yet increased significantly as shipping companies remain cautious and prioritise the safety of crews before deciding to sail.
A representative for major German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd told The National that its vessels “are ready for a transit but we will only sail through the Strait of Hormuz when it is safe to do so". The company previously said four of its vessels were still stranded in the Gulf.
The traffic across the strait is nowhere close to what it was before the war broke out between the US and Iran on February 28. At least 100 ships used to pass each day through the narrow channel between Oman and Iran.
