Hormuz Shipping Slows Amid Tanker Attacks and US-Iran Standoff

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly slowed down following recent attacks on tankers. According to data from Kpler, only five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, whereas 31 did so in the prior weekend.

The slowdown comes after three vessels operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked last week, and the United States said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway that handles around a fifth of the world's shipments of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated in an interview with local media on Saturday that Washington must meet Tehran's conditions regarding the strait for shipping to resume. The data from Kpler also showed that some ships may be passing through undetected, as their transponders were switched off.