Tehran, Iran – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was struck by three projectiles of unknown origin, 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman. The tanker was transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In its initial statement, UKMTO confirmed that there were no injuries to the crew and no significant environmental damage. The agency added that an official investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the attack and the perpetrators.
Record decline in commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz
On the operational and economic front, particularly regarding maritime traffic, cargo ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained extremely low. Preliminary tracking data showed only about five commercial vessels transiting the strait on Monday. This figure showed little change compared to weekend averages and remains significantly below the usual ten-day average of approximately 14 vessels. This information comes from Kepler, a company specializing in satellite and transponder ship tracking.
Details of transit traffic and the complete absence of liquid tankers
Field data indicated that Monday’s transit was limited to four vessels entering the waterway and only one exiting. Furthermore, no liquid tankers were recorded during the transits. The list of incoming vessels included a small, empty gas tanker that used the Iranian route. Three dry cargo ships also entered the strait. It should be noted that these figures and statistics do not include vessels that may transit the strait with their transponders switched off for security reasons.
