Archive · 24 Aug 2026
Hormuz Traffic Falls Below 20 Ships Amid Blockades
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow sea route used by ships carrying energy supplies.
Fewer than 20 commodity ships crossed it during the reported weekend.
Kpler counted 13 ships on Saturday and four on Sunday.
Some ships turned off tracking devices, so the numbers may change.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said traffic was about 90% lower than before the conflict.
Ships have been changing plans or using routes farther north after attacks.
Tankers made up 45% of the traffic recorded during the week.
Another nearby route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, also saw fewer ships on Sunday than on Saturday.
Four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and 13 crossed on Saturday, according to Kpler data.
Traffic figures may change because some vessels switched off their transponders while transiting.
UKMTO recorded 89 vessels exiting and 103 entering the strait during the week to August 21.
AIS-detected transits were approximately 90% below pre-conflict levels, with traffic declining since June 24-26.
Twenty-four commodity vessels crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sunday, down from 32 on Saturday.
- Who
- Commodity vessels, tankers and gas carriers, with traffic monitored by Kpler and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
- What
- Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell below 20 commodity vessels over the weekend, while traffic through Bab el-Mandeb also declined on Sunday.
- When
- The reported figures cover Saturday and Sunday, with wider traffic data covering the seven days to August 21.
- Where
- The Strait of Hormuz and the nearby Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Why
- Iranian and United States blockades, attacks, aborted transit plans and route changes restricted traffic.
- Hormuz weekend transits
- Kpler initially recorded 13 commodity vessels on Saturday and four on Sunday.
- Weekly Hormuz movements
- UKMTO recorded 89 vessels exiting and 103 entering during the seven days to August 21.
- Traffic reduction
- AIS-detected transits were approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines.
- Tanker share
- Tankers accounted for 45% of total traffic during the reported week.
- Tanker composition
- Crude oil, oil product and chemical tankers made up 56% of tanker traffic; LPG carriers made up another 24%.
- Reported incidents
- UKMTO reported 23 projectile-strike incidents since July 6.
- Bab el-Mandeb traffic
- Kpler recorded 24 commodity vessels on Sunday, compared with 32 on Saturday and 22 on Friday.