Hormuz vessel traffic drops 52% as ships switch to defensive routes

• Renewed US-Iran tensions, IRGC warnings continue to undermine confidence despite no confirmed new attacks since June 27

Commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply between July 10 and 12 as shipping operators increasingly adopted defensive routing patterns following renewed attacks on ships in and around the strategic waterway.

Confirmed crossings declined by around 52% compared with the previous week, MarineTraffic said Monday on US social media company X.

The composition of traffic also shifted, with vessels increasingly using Iranian and so-called “Dark” routes, while activity along the internationally recognized International Maritime Organization (IMO) corridor and Omani routes dropped to minimal levels.

The change indicates that shipowners and operators are prioritizing routes perceived as safer over more direct transit options amid persistent uncertainty, MarineTraffic said.

The latest decline followed a renewed wave of attacks against commercial vessels near the strait.

According to the IMO’s list of confirmed incidents, the GFS Galaxy was damaged nine nautical miles east of Oman on July 11, leaving one seafarer missing.

The Cyprus Prosperity was damaged east of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula on July 7, while the Wedyan and Al Rekayyat were damaged in separate incidents near the United Arab Emirates and Oman on July 6. No pollution or injuries were reported in those three incidents.

The IMO said on July 8 that several ships transiting the strait had been attacked over the preceding two days and urged shipowners and operators to avoid exposing seafarers to unnecessary danger.

The organization said hundreds of vessels carrying around 6,000 seafarers remained stranded in the Persian Gulf as a result of the conflict.

The attacks triggered further military escalation between Washington and Tehran, with the US carrying out strikes against Iranian missile, drone, radar and naval assets. Iran subsequently launched attacks against countries hosting US forces and reiterated its claim that it controls the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy transit chokepoints, connecting oil and gas producers in the Gulf with international markets.

MarineTraffic said renewed US-Iran tensions and warnings from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continued to weigh on confidence, reinforcing a cautious approach among commercial shipping operators.