Strait of Hormuz Traffic Falls After US Blockade Reinstated

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell on Wednesday, the first day after the United States reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports, as both countries intensified their attacks on each other in the Persian Gulf region.

According to data from Kpler, nine vessels passed through the strait, compared with 13 the previous day. Most of the ships used the Iranian route, and not a single large-capacity oil tanker or liquefied natural gas tanker passed through the strait on Wednesday.

US Central Command said it had neutralized an empty oil tanker heading toward the Iranian island of Kharg after it failed to respond to repeated calls, firing Hellfire missiles at the ship's funnel. The vessel, the Belma, which sails under the flag of Curaçao, subsequently stopped heading toward Iran.

The US military said that since the naval blockade was reinstated on Tuesday, it has diverted two ships and neutralized another.

Tensions in the region escalated after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday evening. Before the conflict broke out, about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supplies passed through the strait.

(Reuters, bak)