US assisted Hormuz transits drop to zero
Vessel traffic through the US-assisted southern transit route in the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to zero following recent Iranian attacks. Commercial shipping is now bifurcated between northern and central routes as tensions in the region escalate.
Why it matters
The disruption of a key maritime chokepoint threatens global energy supply chains and indicates a significant escalation in geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran.
Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz on the US-assisted southern transit route stopped completely in the past day following increased Iranian attacks on vessels at the start of the week.
Out of the 10 vessels that transited the strait of Hormuz on 21 July, eight vessels took the Iran-favored northern transit route, while two vessels transited through the center transit lane where most traffic passed before the war, data from vessel tracking service Windward shows.
Vessel traffic through the center transit lane has been uncommon since the breakout of the war because of suspected Iranian-placed mines throughout the area. Commercial traffic through the strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war on 28 February has been bifurcated between the northern route, which runs along the Iranian coastline, and the southern route along the Omani coast.
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