Strait of Hormuz Ship Traffic Drops to 77 Vessels Since March 1 Amid U.S.-Israel-Iran Tensions

Only 77 vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, down sharply from 1,229 vessels during the same period last year, as conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran disrupts traffic through the key global energy corridor, maritime data show. Most of the 77 vessels are aging ships in poor condition with insufficient insurance and opaque ownership, Agence France-Presse reported on March 13, citing Lloyd's List. Many of these ships are part of a "shadow fleet" of tankers and gas carriers used to evade Western sanctions, according to Lloyd's List, a maritime data and analytics provider.