Ships Through Strait of Hormuz Plunge From 130 a Day to 5 as Transit Nears Halt
Summary
- A series of Iranian tanker attacks has cut Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic to levels that are effectively near a halt.
- The UAE said traffic fell from more than 130 ships a day to five after attacks on three vessels operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC).
- With US-Iran war-ending talks deadlocked, the US is maintaining a maritime blockade on Iran while Tehran is demanding conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz traffic.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to near-halt levels after a series of Iranian attacks on oil tankers.
Reuters, citing ship-tracking firm Kpler, reported on Aug. 17 that only five cargo ships passed through the strait on Aug. 15. None transited on Aug. 16. Traffic totaled 31 vessels over the previous weekend.
Ships entering the strait on Aug. 15 included a very large crude carrier, or VLCC, that had turned off its Automatic Identification System, and an Indian very large gas carrier, or VLGC, that used an Iranian shipping lane.
Traffic dropped sharply after the United Arab Emirates said last week that three vessels operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., or ADNOC, were attacked while underway.
The UAE blamed Iran for the attacks. Actual traffic may have been higher than the data show because some ships were sailing with their AIS turned off. Even so, the figure is far below the more than 130 vessels a day that used the strait before the US and Israel began their war against Iran in February.
The US and Iran remain deadlocked in talks to end the war. Washington says it can maintain a maritime blockade on Iran indefinitely. Tehran is countering that the US must accept its conditions, including compensation for war damage, before shipping through the Strait of Hormuz can resume.
Ko Jung-sam, Hankyung.com reporter jsk@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
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