The number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a one-week low of eight on Thursday as ship owners avoided the key waterway amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, shipping data showed, cited by Reuters, BTA reported.
The United States and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen reported separate attacks on merchant ships, as prospects for an end to the war in Iran look increasingly uncertain, the agency added. Tehran has said the strait will remain closed unless Washington accepts Iran's terms.
The eight vessels that passed yesterday are below the 10-day average of about 12 and are the lowest daily number since August 5, according to data from analytics firm Kpler. Only one of the coal-carrying ships had left the strait, while the others were still passing through. All seven ships that entered the strait used the Iranian route. Two Yemeni coast guard officials and two government officials quoted by Reuters said a cargo ship was attacked by the Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sunday, killing three crew members. The US military said this morning it had opened fire on a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship that had attempted to reach an Iranian port in violation of a Washington-imposed blockade. Separate data from the London Stock Exchange Group showed (London Stock Exchange Group, LSEG) showed 11 ship crossings through the strait yesterday, compared to 14 the previous day.
Usually, about 130-140 ships passed through the strait before Iran closed the waterway after the start of the US-Israeli attacks on February 28.
The 30 vessels that passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait yesterday were above the 10-day average of 25, according to Kepler data.