Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has come to a near standstill, following renewed exchanges of fire between the United States and Iran. The data provider Kpler announced the development on Friday, with the agency reporting a dramatic drop in the number of passing vessels.
According to the published data, only eight ships passed through the strait on Thursday. This figure represents the lowest recorded level in the past three weeks. In comparison, 15 ships passed through on Wednesday, while the figure was 48 two weeks ago. Kpler published these figures on the X platform.
In contrast to the current situation, more than 100 ships used to pass through the Strait of Hormaz daily on average. The current near-total standstill in traffic clearly indicates an escalation of tensions in the region and has serious implications for global maritime trade.
Iran threatened a 'general offensive' on Friday, while the United States continued its bombardment of Iranian territory for the seventh consecutive night. Iranian civilian infrastructure, previously spared, was no longer exempt from the strikes, marking a significant shift in the tactics employed by US forces.
The US military announced that it was conducting a new round of attacks on Iran, which began at 19:00 GMT. The strikes were carried out on the orders of President Donald Trump, with US military sources stating that the aim was to continue weakening Iran's military capabilities. The military also published the statement on the attack on the X platform.
According to Iranian news agencies, explosions were heard in southern Iran during the night strikes. These events are contributing to instability in the region and further straining the already fragile maritime corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
