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Monday, 17 August 2026dailybeirut.com
World
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to zero on Sunday, with just five bulk cargo vessels passing Saturday—down from 31 a week earlier—following attacks on oil tankers and stalled U.S.-Iran talks.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply at the start of this week after attacks targeted oil tankers, as negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict stalled.
According to vessel-tracking data released by Kepler, five bulk cargo ships crossed the strait on Saturday. No vessels transited the waterway on Sunday. That compares with 31 ships during the same period last week.
The United States stated it may maintain its naval blockade against Iran indefinitely. While some vessels could pass undetected—with automatic identification systems switched off—the current numbers stand in stark contrast to the pre-war daily average of more than 130 ships traversing the strait.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a Saturday interview with local media that Washington must meet Iran’s conditions regarding the strait before maritime commercial traffic can resume.
Prior to the February war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, five global shipments of crude oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strait each day.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned Iran’s attacks on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
