Strait of Hormuz Shipping Traffic Falls Sharply
Commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to single-digit daily levels over the weekend as attacks continued to disrupt one of the world’s most important energy shipping corridors.
Published September 14, 2026
What Readers Should Know
- Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to single-digit daily levels over the weekend.
- Four commodity vessels exited the Gulf and 10 entered through the strait.
- The recent 10-day average was about 14 commodity-vessel transits per day.
- Before the Iran war began on February 28, the strait handled about 125 large commercial vessels per day.
- Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline was temporarily shut following a drone attack from Iraq.
Hormuz Vessel Traffic Drops Below Recent Average
MONTREAL (Oil Monster): Commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to single-digit daily levels over the weekend, according to preliminary ship-tracking data released Monday.
The level was well below the 10-day average of approximately 14 commodity vessels per day.
Four vessels exited the Gulf through the strait during the weekend. They included a Handysize vessel sailing in ballast, a Handy vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas, a Supramax carrying fertilizer and a Suezmax carrying crude oil or condensate.
Ten vessels entered the Gulf, including a mini-bulker transporting minor bulk commodities, a Handymax carrying grain, a Panamax carrying metals and a Supramax carrying dry bulk cargo.
AIS Data May Not Capture All Vessel Movements
The figures do not include vessels that may have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System, or AIS, transponders switched off to avoid detection.
That means actual vessel traffic through the waterway could be higher than the tracked totals.
Vessel Struck While Transiting Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported early Sunday that a vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
At the time of the initial report, the crew’s status, the extent of the damage and any environmental impact were unknown.
Saudi East-West Pipeline Temporarily Shut
Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which has helped provide an alternative route around disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, was temporarily shut following a drone attack originating from Iraq, according to Saudi officials.
The pipeline has become an important alternative route for Saudi crude exports during the disruption to Gulf shipping.
Hormuz Traffic Remains Far Below Pre-War Levels
Before the Iran war began on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels per day, including oil tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers and container ships.
The waterway accounted for roughly 20% of the world’s daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply.
A U.S. blockade of Iran-related shipping has halted Iranian crude oil exports since it was reimposed in mid-July.
Bab el-Mandeb Traffic Remains Near Recent Average
Shipping activity through the Bab el-Mandeb strait was comparatively steadier over the weekend.
Tracking data showed 24 commodity vessels passed through the waterway on Saturday and 27 on Sunday, compared with an average of about 27 ships per day over the previous 10 days.
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Courtesy: www.reuters.com