Number of Ships Passing Strait of Hormuz and Attacked Revealed in New Study

Three tankers entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to data from LSEG and Kpler. The Panama-flagged Peace Gulf is scheduled to arrive at Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates after navigating through a new route between the islands of Larak and Hormuz in Iranian territorial waters.

The IRGC has ordered all vessels to take this new route, which was previously used by ships heading to Iranian ports. However, the US blockade, implemented on Monday, does not affect these three vessels as they are not bound for Iranian ports.

On Monday, CENTCOM announced that its forces began enforcing the blockade of maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports at 10am ET (14:00 GMT). The blockade applies to “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas”.

Tehran has warned it could retaliate by targeting ports in neighbouring Gulf countries. Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to most international shipping following the US-Israeli attacks on February 28.

Ship-tracking data shows that 279 ships have passed through the strait since the war began, with 22 vessels being attacked during this time. The number of ships transiting the strait has plummeted by over 95% compared to pre-war levels.

A ceasefire between the US and Iran took effect on April 8, but only 45 ships have entered or exited the strait since then. Hundreds of tankers and other ships have been stranded in the Gulf since the war began, cutting global oil and gas supply by 20%.

Source: Al Jazeera