WANA (Aug 11) – Shipping data indicates that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to one of its lowest levels in recent years, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the waterway is open and fully under the control of the U.S. Navy.

 

According to data released by the maritime tracking platform Kpler, the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to six on Monday, while the 10-day average stood at around 11 ships. The sharp decline comes as, before the start of the conflict, between 130 and 140 vessels typically passed through the strategic waterway every day.

 

New Kpler data released on Tuesday showed that four vessels carrying essential commodities entered the Strait of Hormuz, including two empty tankers designated to transport petroleum products. The data also showed that two vessels exited the waterway, including a small liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier and another ship carrying residual fuel.

 

The figures indicate that despite claims that maritime traffic has returned to normal, shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz remains at a severely limited level, with the remaining traffic largely taking place through routes monitored by Iran.

 

The decline in vessel movement comes amid growing uncertainty over the prospects of reaching an agreement between Tehran and Washington and fading hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough.

 

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would be “conditional on Washington’s full acceptance of Iran’s terms,” indicating that the status of the strategic waterway remains closely tied to regional political and security developments.