Strait of Hormuz transits drop as U.S. and Iran escalate attacks across Gulf
Just three commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday (July 16, 2026), the fewest daily transits since May, shipping data showed, with most ships halting or making U-turns after recent Iranian attacks on vessels and the resumption of a U.S. blockade on Iran-related shipping.
The re-escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran has once again largely stopped traffic through Hormuz, the world’s most important shipping route for oil and gas, driving up global energy prices.
Miraan, a sanctioned product tanker carrying fuel oil, and Norita, a small vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas, exited the strait on Thursday (July 16, 2026) via the Iranian route but stopped at the Gulf of Oman, where the U.S. blockade is, Kpler data showed as of 05:13 GMT on Friday (July 17, 2026).
Arolia, a bunkering tanker laden with Iraqi fuel oil that is used to refuel vessels at sea, made a U-turn to head back into the Gulf hours after it exited earlier on Friday (July 17, 2026), LSEG data showed.
– Reuters
