Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has dropped by at least 95 percent since February 28 when Iran unofficially blocked the critical waterway after US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic sparked the current West Asia conflict.
How many ships passed Strait of Hormuz in March?
According to reports, fewer than 100 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 20 days, a stark contrast to normal maritime traffic on the seaway which saw around 138 ships transiting daily prior to the Iran war.
While Iran has virtually shut traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, shipping data shows that around 100 ships have passed during the period, mostly from Iran’s “friendly countries” such as Russia and China.
According to a BBC report, citing data from shipping analyst Kpler, a total of 99 ships have passed through the narrow strait since the beginning of March, an average of barely 5-6 ships per day.
Which countries were allowed safe passage?
About one-third of the ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the Middle East war broke out were linked to Iran, including 14 Iranian-flagged vessels, which are under Western sanctions due to suspected links to Tehran’s oil trade, BBC Verify reported.
Data shows that nine vessels which passed the narrow waterway were owned by companies with addresses linked to China, while six ships had Indian destinations, and one was a Pakistani-flagged vessel, the report said, adding that several ships not owned by Iran, have docked at Iranian ports, including those owned by Greek companies.
Why Pakistani tanker took different route through Hormuz?
The BBC report, citing tracking data said a Pakistani-flagged oil tanker passed very close to the Iranian coast while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on March 15, while ships from other countries typically use the more widely used route through the seaway.
According to Bradley Martin, a senior researcher at the US think tank RAND Corporation, the Pakistani ship was likely following instructions from Iran, possibly due to the presence of Iranian landmines along the traditional route.
