WANA (Jul 22) – Tracking data shows that while the U.S. military claimed the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping, no crude oil tankers or liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers transited the strategic waterway on Tuesday.

 

According to a Reuters report citing ship-tracking data, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued to decline on Tuesday, with only three commercial cargo ships passing through the waterway, down from four the previous day.

 

The development came after the Iranian Navy announced on Tuesday that it would not authorize ships to depart through the Strait of Hormuz as long as U.S. hostilities continue. Despite this, the U.S. military said in a statement early Wednesday that the strait remains open to commercial shipping.

 

Ship-tracking data also showed that no very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and no liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers were observed transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. According to Reuters, the figures point to a near-total halt in energy shipments through the strategic chokepoint, raising fresh concerns over potential disruptions to global oil and gas markets.