Despite escalating tensions between the United States and Iran concerning control of the Strait of Hormuz, observed maritime traffic through the vital waterway remains low. Data from maritime intelligence analysts at Kpler indicated that only 13 merchant vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Of these, eight departed the Persian Gulf, and five entered it.
CNN reported that only one ship, a cargo vessel entering the Persian Gulf, utilized the southern route near Oman’s coast, a passage promoted by the U.S. military as safer. Kpler noted that the majority of ships passing on Wednesday used the route near the Iranian coast.
On Thursday, the MarineTraffic platform recorded two oil tankers leaving the Gulf near Iran, with another vessel observed near the coast of Oman. Overall, the volume of maritime traffic constitutes approximately one-tenth of the pre-conflict average, though some vessels have been noted operating without activating location transmitters. Iran has repeatedly asserted that all ships must secure its permission to navigate the strait.
An Iranian military spokesman stated on Thursday that adherence to Iranian regulations is necessary for the strait to reopen, following Tehran’s declaration of closure after recent U.S. actions. In response to drone attacks on several ships near the strait over the past week, U.S.
forces announced on Thursday that they conducted strikes against Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, as well as coastal surveillance facilities, aiming to diminish Iran’s capacity to threaten merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Topics: #strait #hormuz #maritime
