Hormuz traffic hits five-week low as strikes resume

Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz declined to a five-week low on Sunday after renewed strikes in the region, officials said. Several tankers carrying oil products transited the strait but most operated with their transponders switched off, data showed. Energy-market reaction remained pending as traders monitored shipping flows.

Five-week low in transits

U.S. forces conducted further strikes against Iran on Sunday, officials said, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported stopping two ships in the strait overnight. The combination of attacks on vessels and forces' strikes has elevated perceived safety risks for tankers moving through the narrow passage, traders and shipping trackers told authorities, the company and port notices showed.

Suspending automatic identification system transmissions is a common precaution where crews judge the route risky; data showed a higher share of darkened tracks in the last 48 hours compared with the preceding week. That reduces visibility for commercial schedulers and for naval escorts, increasing waiting times and the chance of rerouting via longer corridors.

Markets and shipping managers will watch vessel movements through 16 July 2026 for signs of sustained diversion or tightening in physical oil flows. Officials said updates to transit counts and any further maritime incidents over the next 72 hours will be material to energy traders and insurers.