Ship Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz Plunges Amid Conflict: JMIC

JMIC confirmed the two vessels that transited the Strait of Hormuz were cargo ships rather than oil tankers.

JMIC rated the risk around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Middle East Gulf as “critical” as confirmed attacks continue against commercial vessels. Hazards to shipping include missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and drone strikes.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen from an average of 138 vessels a day to just two on March 5 due to the U.S.-Iran conflict, with “no confirmed indicators of de-escalation”, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) in an advisory post to its website on Friday.

“While no formal legal closure of the Strait has been universally acknowledged, the reduction stems from a combination of security threats, insurance constraints, operational uncertainty, and effective disruptions rather than a declared blockade,” its post noted.

“All merchant vessels, regardless of flag or affiliation, should continue to operate under the assumption of sustained high-end threat exposure,” JMIC added.

A high concentration of vessels remain at anchor, drifting and at berth in the region’s ports. Increased congestion in these areas may contribute to secondary navigational hazards, such as limited maneuvering space, anchor dragging, and heightened risk of collision, according to JMIC.

The Strait of Hormuz is a major waterway that links the Middle East Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It’s estimated around 20% of global crude oil transits through the Strait annually, according to market sources.

Reporting by Stacy Maphula, smaphuka@opisnet.com; Editing by Yazdi Merchant, ymerchant@opisnet.com