Last Updated on 14/08/2026
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz declined further this week, with just five vessels crossing on Wednesday and nine on Thursday, below the monthly average of 12, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters.
On Thursday, five tankers entered the waterway while four departed, with most vessels using the Iranian side of the strait. By comparison, traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea remained relatively active, with Kpler recording 19 commodity carriers passing through on Thursday. Reuters noted that the figures only include vessels with their transponders switched on.
The decline in Hormuz traffic comes as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate. Washington has warned that its naval blockade of Iran could remain in place indefinitely and that additional sanctions may be imposed to further pressure the Iranian economy. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Navy could sustain the blockade by rotating vessels and indicated that further measures could be announced in the coming week.
Despite the increasingly prolonged standoff, oil prices have not fully reflected the potential supply risks. Traders have instead focused on a sharp increase in U.S. commercial crude inventories, which reportedly rose by more than 17.4 million barrels last week.
However, global oil inventories are continuing to decline, even as countries release crude from strategic reserves. Meanwhile, China, whose historically low oil imports in May and June helped limit pressure on prices, has started increasing its crude purchases again.
Analysts warn that if the deadlock over U.S.-Iran negotiations and control of the Strait of Hormuz continues for several more weeks, the physical oil market could reach a critical tipping point. At that stage, tightening supplies could trigger actual shortages and send oil prices sharply higher.
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