Attacks on commercial ships in the Middle East and regional military tensions have negatively impacted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Vessel tracking data shows that the number of tankers transiting the strait has fallen to its lowest daily level in five weeks.
According to ship tracking company Kpler, only six vessels transited the strait on Sunday. That figure marks the lowest daily count in recent weeks. As security risks mounted, many tankers switched off the transponders that broadcast their location during voyages.
Among the vessels that crossed the strait were the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Humanity, carrying roughly 2 million barrels of Iranian crude, and the Capetan Andreas, laden with about 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti petroleum products. Additionally, three empty oil tankers entered the strait heading into the Persian Gulf to pick up new cargo.
Weekend records showed no liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker entering the Strait of Hormuz. However, an oil tanker owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was tracked departing the strait between July 10 and 12, heading for India’s Dahej port.