Strait of Hormuz Records Lowest Ship Traffic in More Than Two Months

Al-Taj News – Shipping data showed that the number of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to its lowest level in more than two months, after attacks on oil tankers passing through this vital waterway reached their highest levels since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran last week.

According to data from analytics company “Kpler,” only seven cargo ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the lowest number since July 23.

The analysts at “Kpler,” Emmanuel Belliostriano and Yui Torikata, said in a note issued on October 6 that crude oil volumes transiting the strait fell by 27% from the highest level recorded during the war in the previous week, reaching at least 10.1 million barrels per day.

They added that this level represents a return to the September average, but is equivalent to 74% of pre-war levels.

The analysts explained that most of this decline came from ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Gulf of Oman, where cargoes are transferred between tankers.

In contrast, exports from the Gulf of Oman coast and the Red Sea rose to 6.7 million barrels per day, more than double pre-war levels, according to the analysts, offsetting the shortfall in supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.