Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted despite a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, underscoring persistent risks to global energy flows.
According to a Reuters analysis of ship-tracking data, just one oil products tanker and five dry bulk carriers transited the strait in the past 24 hours. The slowdown comes even after both sides agreed to a two-week truce, highlighting continued uncertainty around safe passage.
Data from Kpler, Lloyd's List Intelligence and Signal Ocean shows traffic has been near a standstill since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran escalated on February 28. Daily sailings have dropped to just a few vessels, compared with an estimated average of around 140 ships per day before the conflict.
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The sharp decline has raised alarm among global policymakers and industry leaders. The European Union reiterated that the principle of free navigation must be upheld, amid signals from Iran that it may impose conditions on vessel movement.
“International law provides for the freedom of navigation, which means… basically no payment or toll whatsoever,” European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said at a briefing in Brussels. “Freedom of navigation is a public good and needs to be ensured.”
Meanwhile, regional tensions continue to influence shipping routes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly issued guidance maps outlining alternative routes to help vessels avoid naval mines. One zone has been marked as an “area of danger”, with ships required to coordinate with Iranian authorities.
This has effectively altered traditional shipping patterns. Tankers that earlier sailed closer to Oman are now being directed toward more northerly routes, closer to the Iranian coastline.
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Concerns have also been flagged by industry leaders. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, called for the strait to remain open without restrictions.
“Iran has made clear, through both its statements and actions, that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage. That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion,” he said. “The Strait must be open – fully, unconditionally and without restriction. Energy security and global economic stability depend on it.”
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