Middle East tensions continue to grow, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz partly choked off throughout Monday, July 13th.
Over the weekend, a Cypriot-flagged container ship was struck on Saturday, July 11th by what Iran describes as a “warning shot,” intended to keep a vessel on an ‘approved route’ within the contested waterway. This prompted U.S. strikes on Iranian targets which, in turn, led Tehran to target neighboring Gulf states including—unusually—Oman.
As the U.S. and Iran trade blows, the amount of traffic through the Strait has dropped sharply, with only 14 crossings through the waterway on Sunday,
According to maritime intelligence firm Kpler,
Confirmed strait of Hormuz crossings declined by around 52% week on week over 10 to 12 July, with traffic reverting to more defensive routing patterns.
Renewed US Iran tensions and IRGC warnings continue to drive heightened caution across commercial shipping.
The resurgence of maritime hostilities suggests that the previous ceasefire, written up as a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between Washington and Tehran, is now at an end.
