Hormuz Crossings Drop after US Chokes Strait

Very few ships passed through the waterway on the first full day of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran.

· Tanker traffic declines: Only 13 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, down from 21 ships the previous day.

· Reason: The drop followed the reinstated U.S. naval blockade targeting maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports.

· Normal traffic: Before the conflict, over 130 vessels per day transited the strait on average.

· Shipping routes: Most vessels that crossed used Iranian-designated waters.

· U.S. enforcement: U.S. Central Command reported intercepting two ships attempting to cross the blockade.

· Sanctioned vessels: Of the 13 ships, five were under sanctions, according to maritime data firm Kpler.

· Tracking challenges: Some ships switched off their tracking systems, making it difficult to monitor shipping activity and destinations.

· Strategic impact: The blockade is expected to:

o Reduce Iran's control over traffic through the strait.

o Cut Iran's oil export revenues.

· Conflict status: Fighting between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz entered its sixth day.

· Previous blockade: During the April–mid-June blockade:

o More than 140 ships were redirected.

o Nine vessels were disabled.

o Iran lost billions of dollars in oil revenue.

· Oil market impact:

o Brent crude traded around US$84 per barrel.

o West Texas Intermediate (WTI) remained just below US$80 per barrel.

o Analysts warn the renewed blockade could have a greater impact on prices than the earlier blockade due to lower global oil inventories.

· Fuel prices: Average U.S. diesel prices rose above US$5 per gallon, up:

o 7 cents from the previous day.

o 33% since the conflict with Iran began.

· Economic outlook: According to Oxford Economics:

o Prolonged tensions are likely.

o Shipping companies may reduce or suspend voyages through the strait.

o Gulf countries are expected to accelerate efforts to diversify export routes, reducing long-term dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.

· Financial markets: U.S. stock markets remained subdued, with the S&P 500 closing about 0.5% lower.

[ABS News Service/17.07.2026]

Just 13 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (15.07.2026), the first full day of the reinstated U.S. naval blockade on maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the vital waterway.

Traffic through the strait declined markedly, down from 21 ships the day before, according to Kpler, a maritime data firm. Most of the vessels passed through Iranian waters, using the route Tehran has mandated.

But the U.S. naval blockade was likely to severely diminish Iran’s hold over the strait and its ability to act as a gatekeeper of traffic and bring in revenue through sales of its oil. U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday that it had intercepted two ships that were trying to cross the blockade.

Of the ships that transited the strait on Wednesday, five were sanctioned, according to Kpler. Some ships sail with their tracking devices turned off, obscuring their precise routes and making it hard to have a complete picture of shipping activity.

The stealth tactics also make it hard to immediately know where ships ended up after passing through the strait.

The dwindling traffic comes as fighting between Iran and the United States over the strait, which is a critical thoroughfare for oil and gas shipments, extended into a sixth day. The blockade has added to the uncertainties facing shippers looking to move oil in and out of the region. Before the start of the war, more than 130 vessels passed through the strait on average each day.

During the first U.S. blockade, in effect from April until mid-June, forces redirected more than 140 ships and disabled nine near the Strait of Hormuz and further afield, preventing them from reaching their final destinations and depriving Iran of billions in oil revenue.

The renewed blockade could hit oil prices harder than the first one, which saw prices soaring as high as $120 a barrel by the end of April. Now, after months of fighting, global oil reserves are even lower as national and commercial stockpiles were tapped to minimize shortages.

Neither the United States nor Iran wants the strait to be completely closed, but neither side appears willing to make significant concessions, said Ben May, the director of global macroeconomic research at Oxford Economics. Prolonged tension seems inevitable, he said.

“As a result, shipping firms will limit or stop voyages through the strait and Gulf states will redouble efforts to diversify routes, eventually reducing the strait’s strategic importance,” he said.

Oil prices waver as diesel hits $5 a gallon.

· On Thursday, Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, fluctuated around $84 a barrel; prices have remained elevated since the hostilities were reignited this week. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, hovered below $80 a barrel.

· The average price of diesel in the United States rose above $5 a gallon again on Thursday, up 7 cents from the day before and 33 percent since the start of the war with Iran. Diesel prices first surpassed $5 in March before retreating when Iran and the United States agreed to a tentative cease-fire that has since fallen apart. But the renewed fighting as well as reduced refinery capacity is once again pushing up prices at the pump.

· Stocks were subdued on Thursday with the S&P 500 closing around half a percent lower.