Strait of Hormuz Shipping Traffic Struggles at a Fraction of Pre-War Levels Amid Ongoing Conflict

Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remained at just 17 percent of its pre-conflict average over the past seven days, according to data from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre. Control over this vital waterway has increasingly become the center of the ongoing war, following statements from US President Donald Trump on Thursday outlining plans to declare the area a US territory once the US finishes defeating Iran. Tehran responded swiftly to the remarks, with the deputy foreign minister stating that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized with a tweet or an aircraft carrier.

According to the latest UKMTO report released Friday, only 151 vessels successfully navigated in or out of the narrow waterway over the past week. The report notes that 56 ships have sustained damage in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters since the US-Iran war began on February 28, though this tally does not appear to include two additional attacks reported on Thursday. In separate updates, the UKMTO reported that a vessel suffered minor damage following a drone attack, while the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) confirmed that two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the strait.

The Southern Omani route, utilized as an alternative temporary corridor, continues to present the highest risk, accounting for 16 out of 18 projectile strike incidents reported by the UKMTO since July 6. Meanwhile, the US naval blockade remains fully active, restricting ships from accessing Iranian ports both inside and outside the strait. Despite these restrictions, one Iranian-flagged ship was recorded inbound and another outbound over the past week. Panama and Liberia recorded the highest numbers of flagged vessels transiting the contested waterway with 12 ships each, while no US-flagged vessels were reported. Product tankers, which generally transport refined petroleum products, made up the most common type of vessel passing through the strait.

While the latest figures show a minor improvement compared to the previous week—when traffic plummeted to just 4 percent of pre-war levels—the region remains heavily disrupted by the conflict.