Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below the 10-day average

Friday 04 September 2026 - 14:21

By: Azzat Manal

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below the 10-day average

Initial shipping data indicates that commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly below normal levels amid heightened tensions and renewed fighting between the United States and Iran.

Four commodity-carrying vessels crossed the strategic waterway on Thursday, down from nine the previous day and well below the 10-day average of around 15 vessels, according to data from maritime analytics firm Kpler.

The vessels recorded by 04:55 GMT included two medium-range tankers, a Kamsarmax bulk carrier and a Handy-size vessel. The figures may not capture every ship crossing the strait, as vessels can disable their automatic identification system transponders in an effort to avoid being tracked.

The slowdown in maritime traffic comes as oil prices head toward their strongest weekly gains since mid-July. Renewed hostilities and rising tensions between Washington and Tehran have increased concerns over the security of energy supplies from the Middle East, one of the world’s most strategically important oil-producing regions.

Kpler data also showed that only two very large crude carriers had crossed the Strait of Hormuz so far this week, underscoring the sharp reduction in tanker movements through the waterway.

Before the outbreak of the war with Iran on February 28, around 125 large commercial vessels crossed the strait each day. These included oil and gas tankers, bulk carriers and container ships. The route is particularly important to global energy markets because a significant share of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passes through it.

The disruption has also affected Iranian oil exports. A U.S. blockade targeting shipping linked to Iran has contributed to the suspension of Iranian crude exports since the measures were reimposed in mid-July.

Claudio Galimberti, chief economist at Rystad Energy, said oil and petroleum product export volumes monitored during the conflict had generally ranged between four million and six million barrels per day. The main exception came during a short-lived interim agreement between Iran and the United States, when flows briefly approached pre-war levels.

Galimberti said there was currently little common ground between Washington and Tehran and warned that energy flows could remain severely constrained through November. Continued disruption, he added, is likely to maintain significant economic costs.

The impact is not limited to the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping activity through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea also declined on Thursday. Kpler recorded 22 cargo vessels crossing the waterway, compared with 31 the previous day and a 10-day average of 24.

The simultaneous weakness in shipping traffic through two critical maritime corridors highlights the growing pressure on regional trade and energy logistics. Prolonged disruptions could increase transportation costs, tighten energy supplies and contribute to greater volatility across global commodity markets.

For energy importers and shipping companies, the key concern is how long the disruption will last. Continued restrictions on major routes could have repercussions well beyond the Middle East, particularly if lower shipping volumes translate into sustained pressure on global oil and gas supplies.