Hormuz Ship Traffic Plunges Amid US-Iran Tensions
The Strait of Hormuz, which handles nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, saw only seven commodity ships sail through on Thursday, down from 14 the previous day, according to ship tracker Kpler.
This is amid concerns over risks to Middle East shipping as U.S.-Iran peace talks remain in limbo. Four ships entered and three exited the waterway on Thursday, with no very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers passing through.
However, one very large gas carrier carrying propane and butane did transit out of Hormuz via the Iranian route, the data showed. Separately, traffic slowed slightly at the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which saw 23 commodity ships transiting compared to 34 on each of the previous two days.