Only four cargo vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend as traffic slumped

The number of cargo vessels that passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend fell to four. The average over the previous ten days had been 14 vessels a day, Reuters reported today, citing vessel-tracking data. One vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the strait, the British maritime service UKMTO reported on Sunday.

Before the war between Iran, the US and Israel began, more than 100 cargo vessels a day used the Strait of Hormuz, according to UN data.

Oman’s energy minister, Salim al-Aufi, said today that the disruption to traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was probably only temporary and that the situation should stabilise.

The Persian Gulf Authority, established by Iran to process requests to transit the Strait of Hormuz, today published an updated list of 77 vessels that it says are violating “Iranian protocols for the Strait of Hormuz”.

The vessels on the list will face restrictions on future voyages, including fines, detention or confiscation, the body said, according to Reuters.

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the key battlegrounds in the war, which began in late February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The conflict has sharply reduced traffic along this shipping route, causing price fluctuations in oil and gas markets.