Just two commodity vessels transited the key energy chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, for the lowest daily tally since early May, with both entering the Gulf, shipping data showed.
The figure was also well below the 10-day average of 14, with just one very large gas carrier and one very large crude carrier entering the strait from the Gulf of Oman, according to shiptracker Kpler early on Tuesday.
Although down from Sunday’s tally of seven vessels of all types, the figures could change, however, as some ships had switched off navigation transponders on their way through.
Iran said it had blacklisted 45 tankers for violating its rules on passage through the strait, threatening action against vessels engaging in ship-to-ship transfers with them, escalating pressure over the key waterway six months into the Iran war.
Before the conflict, the strait carried about a fifth of global flows of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
Iran also vowed to retaliate against expanded U.S. sanctions aimed at cutting off its economic lifeline, while expressing confidence that its major trading partners would resist Washington’s pressure campaign.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the measures on Monday but stopped short of imposing the most severe sanctions. Countries continuing to trade with Iran risked losing access to the dollar-based financial system, he warned.
On Monday, 29 vessels transited Bab el-Mandeb, another key chokepoint on the opposite side of the Arabian peninsula, Kpler data showed. That was broadly in line with the 10-day average and compared with 28 crossings on Sunday.
(Reporting by Siyi Liu in Singapore; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Clarence Fernandez)