The security crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategic points of global oil trade, has severely affected maritime traffic. Ship tracking data revealed that the number of tankers passing through the strait fell to the lowest level in five weeks and that many vessels concealed their location data during transit.
The renewed escalation of military tensions between the US and Iran, along with attacks on commercial vessels in the Middle East, have reduced activity in this critical waterway. Rising risks are forcing tanker operators to act more cautiously.
According to data from ship tracking company Kpler, only six vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. This figure marks the lowest daily transit count in the past five weeks.
Among the vessels that transited were the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Humanity, carrying about 2 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, and the tanker Capetan Andreas, loaded with around 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti petroleum products. Additionally, three empty oil tankers headed toward the Persian Gulf to pick up new cargo.
Kpler data showed that a significant portion of tankers passing through the strait turned off their transponder systems, which share location information, due to security concerns. Experts say this practice has become more frequent in the region recently.
Weekend records showed no liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker entering the Strait of Hormuz. In contrast, an oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was reported to have left the strait between July 10 and 12, heading toward India's Dahej Port.
