Strait of Hormuz Vessel Traffic Drops Amid US-Iran Tensions

The Strait of Hormuz has seen a significant drop in vessel traffic due to ongoing tensions between the US and Iran. According to shipping data, only a dozen commodity vessels transited through the strait over the weekend, down from 35 the previous weekend.

This decrease is attributed to the persistent conflict in the Gulf, which has led to decreased visibility of ships through the strait, a critical conduit for nearly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Despite this drop, Middle Eastern producers continue to export oil on tankers traveling with their transponders off.

Saudi Arabia's crude exports have seen an increase, recovering to over 4 million barrels per day (bpd) in September after slumping to 2.4 million bpd in August. According to provisional data from Kpler, a total of 13 tankers exited the strait in the week of September 13, with Saudi Arabia accounting for half of the exports.