Shipping Traffic Declines in Strait of Hormuz

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly on Sunday following Iran’s declaration that the waterway is closed in response to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Data from maritime intelligence firm Windward indicates that only 12 vessels transited the strait on Sunday, a sharp decline from the 35 recorded the previous day.

The closure announcement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday contradicts reports from U.S. Central Command, which maintains that safe passage remains intact. The discrepancy in transit figures between commercial tracking services and military reporting remains unresolved. Notably, Windward reported that five of the eight vessels entering the strait had deactivated their Automatic Identification Systems, a practice often associated with sanctioned or Iranian-linked shipping.

The disruption follows a brief period of recovery in transit volumes, which had reached 25 vessels on Thursday following a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. Despite the heightened geopolitical friction, global energy markets showed limited volatility; Brent crude prices fell 0.9 percent to below $80 per barrel on Monday morning.

Negotiators from the U.S. and Iran are currently engaged in high-stakes talks in Switzerland, aiming to stabilize a fragile ceasefire and address the security of the critical maritime corridor.