Hormuz shipping nearly halted after U.S., Iran strikes

Global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz ground to a near halt on July 9, 2026, after the U.S. launched a second consecutive day of strikes on Iran, shattering a fragile truce and forcing vessels to abandon the critical energy artery. Traffic through the world’s most vital oil chokepoint collapsed to roughly 20 vessels on July 8, down from a recent average of 34 daily crossings, according to Kpler data. The slowdown underscores the strait’s vulnerability as a global energy lifeline, with shipowners increasingly resorting to dark transits—vessels switching off their transponders to evade detection—as attacks and electronic interference surge. On July 9, only a single U.S.-sanctioned supertanker and an Iranian-flagged containership were observed moving through the strait, while the U.S.-backed Omani corridor lay dormant. Vessel-tracking data shows that some tankers, including an India-flagged supertanker and a UAE-linked bulk carrier, reappeared in the Gulf of Oman after completing covert crossings with transponders disabled. The disruptions follow a week of escalating tensions, including three attacks on major oil and gas tankers, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the U.S.-Iran ceasefire officially over. Before the latest strikes, the strait had seen an average of 34 commodity vessel transits daily over the three weeks since the interim peace deal in mid-June, peaking at 59 on June 24. Liquefied natural gas tanker traffic remains at a standstill, though two empty LNG vessels have recently entered the Gulf of Oman, heading toward Hormuz’s eastern entrance. Sporadic electronic interference also resurfaced on July 9, with vessels southeast of Limah in Oman’s Gulf of Oman reportedly traveling at speeds of at least 30 knots, likely due to defensive countermeasures against drone threats. Such interference can distort ship-tracking data, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile maritime environment.