Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to its lowest level in a week as operators continue to steer clear of the strategic waterway amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Only eight vessels were recorded passing through the strait on Tuesday, according to Kpler data. The figure was well below the roughly 12-vessel average recorded over the previous 10 days and marked the weakest daily traffic count since August 5.
Seven of the vessels were entering the strait, all choosing the route along the Iranian side. Just one vessel, a coal carrier, was recorded leaving the waterway, while the remaining ships had yet to complete their passage.
Separate data from LSEG put Tuesday’s total at 11 transits, compared with 14 the previous day, underscoring the sharp contraction in traffic since the conflict disrupted normal shipping patterns.
The decline comes as military tensions remain high. The United States and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces reported separate attacks, while hopes of a broader de-escalation in the conflict have weakened. Tehran has also indicated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless Washington agrees to its demands.
The scale of the disruption is stark compared with normal conditions. Before Iran shut the waterway following the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks on February 28, roughly 130 to 140 vessels would typically pass through the strait each day.
Meanwhile, shipping activity through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea showed a different trend. Kpler data recorded 30 vessels crossing on Tuesday, above the 10-day average of about 25.
The contrasting figures suggest that while some shipping is shifting toward alternative routes, the disruption around Hormuz continues to weigh heavily on one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.
