Hormuz Strait Sees Higher Tanker Movement After Wartime Lows
LONDON — Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased sharply last week, recovering from the lowest levels recorded since the outbreak of the US‑Israeli war with Iran.
A total of 55 commodity vessels crossed the strategic waterway between May 11 and 17, according to maritime tracking firm Kpler. That marks a significant jump from the previous week, when just 19 vessels made the transit — the smallest weekly figure since the conflict began on February 28.
Iranian state television reported Friday that the Revolutionary Guards are allowing more ships to pass. However, last week’s crossings remain broadly in line with the wartime average of 55 vessels per week since March 1.
Around half the tankers carried liquids, including three very large crude carriers bound for China, Oman, and Japan. Only one liquefied natural gas tanker — carrying Qatari gas to Pakistan — crossed on May 12, bringing the wartime total to eight LNG transits.
On Monday, Tehran announced a new body to oversee the strait and charge vessels for transit. Meanwhile, negotiations with the United States remain stalled. Iran has warned that maritime traffic will “not return to its pre‑war status.”
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