Hormuz vessel traffic drops to historic lows: Only four ships transit in 24 hours

Commercial vessel traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has plummeted to minimal levels amid escalating military friction between the United States and Iran, according to preliminary tracking data from analytics firm Kpler. On September 15, only four commodity vessels transited the waterway, comprising two entering and two exiting. 

Shipping analysts noted that the transiting vessels included neither very large crude carriers (VLCCs) nor liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. Prior to the regional military escalation, the corridor averaged approximately 125 large commercial vessels daily—including crude carriers, LNG tankers, container vessels, and bulkers—accounting for roughly 20% of global daily oil and LNG supply.

Following the breakdown of the ceasefire in July and subsequent reciprocal missile and drone exchanges across the Gulf, commercial navigation has ground to a virtual halt, with unresolved disputes over waterway security and broader geopolitical terms clouding the prospects for normalized transit.