WANA (Sep 07) – The average daily number of cargo ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the 10-day period ending Monday has fallen to 10, the lowest level recorded since May.

 

Data from vessel-tracking company Kpler shows that the sharp decline in maritime traffic through the strategic waterway has continued. According to the data, only two vessels passed through the Strait on Saturday, marking the lowest daily traffic level in recent days.

 

On Sunday, six vessels transited the waterway, most of them using the eastern shipping route of the Strait, which is under Iranian control.

 

The sharp drop in maritime traffic comes as U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that an average of 9 million barrels of oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz each day.

 

Matt Smith, a Kpler executive, told Politico that Wright’s figure did not appear to match available data. He said Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and that, under the current circumstances, only tankers using the Iranian-controlled shipping route are passing through the waterway.