A sailor observes the oil tanker HELGA, which is moored at one of Iraq's southern offshore oil terminals near Basra, as it prepares to load crude oil, becoming the second vessel to arrive since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, April 24, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply following the latest exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran, according to tanker owners’ association INTERTANKO.
In guidance issued to members on Friday, INTERTANKO said vessel transits along the southern route off Oman’s coast had dropped into the single digits after renewed attacks on commercial shipping on July 7 and subsequent U.S. retaliatory strikes.
Traffic along the northern route near Iran remained above 20 vessels but was still well below the more than 70 daily transits recorded following the June ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.
The association said the latest military exchanges were more intense and geographically broader than previous ceasefire breakdowns, including significant attacks affecting Bahrain and Kuwait. Despite the escalation, INTERTANKO said the Gulf region appeared relatively quiet at the time of writing following two days of strikes.
The group also noted that technical discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials were continuing despite the renewed fighting, focusing on both nuclear issues and future arrangements for Gulf shipping. Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization’s proposed seafarer evacuation plan remains on hold.
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