WANA (Aug 18) – Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined sharply in recent days. Despite a slight increase on Monday, the number of vessels passing through the strategic waterway remains less than half its recent daily average.

 

According to preliminary data from Kpler, six vessels carrying primary commodities transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Three of them exited the Persian Gulf, while three entered it. The figure compares with a 10-day average of 11 vessels per day through the strategic waterway.

 

Maritime traffic has also fluctuated significantly in recent days. Five vessels passed through the Strait on Saturday, while no traffic was recorded on Sunday.

 

Some news sources have attributed Monday’s modest increase to efforts by certain shipowners to take advantage of short-term windows they considered relatively secure. However, the continuation of maritime traffic through the vital energy chokepoint remains uncertain and is likely to depend on security developments and the outcome of negotiations between Iran and the United States over ending the war.

 

Maritime data also indicates that most vessels choosing to transit the Strait in recent days have been using the northern corridor, which is under Iranian supervision. The southern corridor, where the main recent attacks have taken place, has remained largely unused.

 

Al Jazeera has also reported significant fluctuations in maritime traffic, noting that Monday’s increase to six vessels came after a complete halt in traffic on Sunday.

 

Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Ali Azmayi, commander of the IRGC Navy, said last Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was completely closed and under the full control of Iranian forces, stressing that the situation should be assessed based on developments on the ground.

 

Yadollah Javani, the IRGC’s political deputy, also said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened only after the United States fulfills its commitments under the Islamabad agreement. He warned that conditions in the waterway may never return to what they were before the war.