WANA (Jul 18) – The oil and gas research and analytics institute HFR reported that satellite data from MarineTraffic reveals the only active shipping lane remaining in the Strait of Hormuz is the Iranian route.

 

The analytical firm noted that the United States cannot afford to cede control of the strategic waterway to Tehran, warning that doing so would transform Iran into the most powerful player in the global oil market.

 

IRGC Targets Four Vessels; Two Others Explode in Minefield

The report comes amid a sharp escalation in maritime security. Early this morning, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced that it targeted four non-compliant vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz under American protection.

Additionally, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed yesterday that four separate maritime incidents had occurred within the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

 

The IRGC further claimed that two vessels, which it described as having been deceived by the United States into navigating through a mined zone, exploded and caught fire.

 

Oil Transits Plummet to Zero

According to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler, crude oil transits through the strategic chokepoint have ground to a halt. Kpler’s metrics show that not a single barrel of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, with shipping volumes failing to show any increase over the preceding 48 hours.

 

Kpler’s satellite imagery from Thursday further underscored the shift in maritime traffic, showing that out of eight vessels transiting the strait that day, seven utilized the shipping route designated and controlled by Iran.