Only four merchant ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday — lowest maritime traffic level

Only four merchant ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to preliminary data published on Friday, marking the lowest traffic level on this key maritime route.

The figures show a drop from the six ships that crossed a day earlier and are far below the 10-day average of about 16 ships, confirming the near-total blockade of the strait by Iran.

The data do not include ships that may have crossed with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off to avoid detection — a practice that has become common as attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf have increased.

Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz carried about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied gas. The drop in traffic to minimal levels is raising concerns over global energy supplies as the US–Iran war enters its seventh month.

Source: Al Jazeera — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/