Strait of Hormuz traffic collapses amid blockades

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed to near-record lows as Iranian and U.S. blockades restrict the passage of commodity vessels through the world's most critical energy chokepoint. Data from shiptracker Kpler showed fewer than 20 vessels transited the strait over the weekend of August 22-23, 2026, with just four crossings on Sunday and thirteen on Saturday, compared with sixteen on Friday. The United Kingdom — Naval co-operation and guidance for shipping (UKMTO) reported that AIS-detected transits are approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines and declining since the June 24-26 peak. Since July 6, UKMTO has logged 23 incidents of projectile strikes on vessels in the strait and its vicinity, causing bridge, engine-room, and structural damage. Tanker traffic dominates the remaining movement, with crude oil, oil products, and chemicals accounting for 56% of tanker transits and LPG carriers 24%. Traffic through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait also thinned, with 24 commodity vessels on Sunday, down from 32 on Saturday. The blockades and attacks have forced vessels to abort transit plans or reroute through the strait's northern corridor, severely disrupting global energy supply chains.