Shipping Traffic Near Strait of Hormuz Nearly Halts Amid US-Iran Attacks

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped following a recent escalation of attacks between the United States and Iran, Bloomberg reported. This marks the second consecutive night of US strikes on Iranian targets, with Iran responding by attacking neighboring countries. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared, "As far as I'm concerned, the ceasefire agreement is over." The countries had agreed last month to reopen the strait, but the current conflict has severely disrupted maritime movement.

According to the report, the only observed ship traffic was along the Iranian side of the northern part of the strait, while the Omani route, supported by the US, remained almost empty. This slowdown is attributed to Iranian attacks on vessels in the area, which prompted the recent US military responses. On Wednesday, only 14 cargo ships passed through the strait in both directions, the lowest number since the memorandum of understanding was signed in June. In comparison, the average daily ship count over the three weeks following the reopening was 34, with a peak of 59 ships on June 24, according to data from Kpler.

Before the agreement, daily ship traffic was generally below 20 vessels. Additionally, signs of renewed localized electronic interference have been detected, with ships in the Gulf of Oman moving at unusually high speeds. This suggests that some countries may be operating defense systems designed to prevent hostile drones from attacking their infrastructure, potentially affecting ship transponder signals. Such electronic disruptions could also impact maritime tracking data.