Strait of Hormuz traffic down about 95 percent since the US-Iran war, vessel-tracking data show
Average daily traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen roughly 95 percent since the US-Iran war began on February 28, from about 100 vessels a day to around six, according to figures drawn from the IMF's PortWatch tracker. Only 532 ships -- including 220 tankers, a quarter of them on February 28 alone -- passed between February 28 and May 17, and 218 have transited since the US blockade started. Iranian officials say traffic edged up to 20 to 25 vessels a day over the past week.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic shipping routes, has fallen by roughly 95 percent since the US-Iran war began, vessel-tracking data show. The average number of ships passing through the strait has dropped to about six a day, down from around 100 before the war, which started on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
A total of 532 vessels navigated the strait between February 28 and May 17, according to PortWatch, the IMF's vessel-tracking site. Tankers accounted for 220 of them, with a quarter of that figure passing on February 28 alone; the rest included general cargo ships, container vessels, roll-on/roll-off carriers and dry bulk carriers. Since the US blockade of the region began, 218 vessels have transited.
Traffic picked up slightly over the past week, with Iranian officials reporting 20 to 25 vessels a day -- broadly in line with the daily tallies of 25 to 35 transits the IRGC reported earlier in the week. The squeeze on the chokepoint has continued to feed through to energy markets, with the US national average gasoline price reaching $4.56 on May 24.