Shipping data cited by Arab Times showed eight vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, below the 10-day average of around 12 and the lowest daily count since August 5. Kpler figures indicated seven ships entered along Iran’s coast with only one coal carrier exiting the passage. LSEG data recorded 11 transits that day, down from 14 the day before, reflecting continued avoidance of the route amid heightened tensions.
Mehdi Mohammadi, senior adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker, said Wednesday that Iran would not reopen the waterway until there was a credible end to the conflict. He described the current situation as the calm before the storm and stated Iran would determine the timing and scope of the fighting. Mohammadi added that the strait was completely closed and shipping had been halted.
A U.S. Energy Information Administration assessment found oil flows through the strait averaged 20 million barrels per day in 2024, equivalent to about 20 percent of global petroleum liquids consumption. The EIA data places first-half 2025 flows at 20.9 million barrels per day, accounting for one-quarter of total global seaborne oil trade. Around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade also transited the strait in 2024, primarily from Qatar.
Tracking services indicate daily vessel movements have fallen from a normal average of about 60 ships to single digits since late February 2026, when the current disruptions began. The International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch platform documented reduced traffic since February 28, 2026, stemming from attacks on commercial vessels that affect roughly 25 percent of global oil maritime trade volume. Monitors updated August 12 showed only two ships in the prior 24 hours, representing 3.3 percent of typical throughput.
Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Ajam, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said a U.S. naval blockade would ultimately fail and American forces would be forced to leave the region. He argued that maintaining the blockade would prove more costly for the United States than for Iran. These remarks align with broader Iranian positions reported in recent days.
The restrictions have prompted rerouting that extends voyage times and raises shipping expenses for energy cargoes. Multiple platforms confirm that more than 95 percent of traffic diverted from the strait during peak threat periods earlier this year. Separate statements from Iranian officials have listed conditions for reopening that include lifting sanctions and U.S. military withdrawal from the area.
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