Commodity vessel crossings of Strait of Hormuz drop to two amid recent attacks
Preliminary data showed only two commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, down from ten the day before, as two vessels were reportedly attacked.
Preliminary shipping data indicated that just two commodity vessels traversed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a sharp decline from ten the previous day. The count excludes ships that may have disabled their Automatic Identification System transponders to avoid detection.
Kpler tracking identified a Panama-flagged Supramax carrying minerals and a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier entering the waterway via an unspecified route. Prior to the conflict that began on Feb. 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels daily, representing roughly 20% of global crude oil and LNG shipments.
Marisks Intelligence reported separate attacks on a crude oil tanker and an LPG carrier during the same period. The Isle of Man-flagged crude tanker LR Stephanie was hit by an unidentified projectile while entering the strait, causing minor injuries to two crew members. The Liberia-flagged LPG tanker Al Maryah was struck while outbound. Both vessels continued without towing assistance.
"We do not comment on specific operational matters, including voyage planning or vessel movements," ADNOC Logistics and Services’ media office said in response to a Reuters inquiry.
Marisks noted that responsibility for the incidents remains unconfirmed and neither vessel appears on publicly reported Iranian Persian Gulf Strait Authority non-compliant lists. By contrast, traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern Red Sea remained steady at 26 vessels on Monday.