Just three commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday (July 16, 2026), the fewest daily transits since May, shipping data showed, with most ships halting or making U-turns after recent โIranian attacks on vessels and the resumption of a U.S. blockade on Iran-related shipping.
The re-escalation in fighting between the โ U.S. and Iran has once again largely stopped traffic through Hormuz, the worldโs most important shipping route for oil and gas, driving up global energy prices.
Miraan, โa sanctioned product tanker carrying fuel oil, and Norita, a small vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas, exited the strait โon Thursday (July 16, 2026) via the Iranian route but stopped at โthe Gulf โ of Oman, where the U.S. blockade is, Kpler โ data showed as of 05:13 GMT on Friday (July 17, 2026).
Arolia, a bunkering tanker laden with Iraqi fuel oil that is used to refuel vessels at sea, made a U-turn to head back into the โGulf hours after it exited earlier on Friday (July 17, 2026), LSEG data showed.
– Reuters