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Hormuz Tanker Traffic Slows as Supertanker Activity Wanes, Bloomberg Analysis Says

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Commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near-trickle on Wednesday, with a handful of mostly Iran-linked vessels transiting the strategic waterway, according to a Bloomberg analysis.

Ship-tracking data showed that only two vessels were transiting into the Persian Gulf, while a Chinese fuel tanker appeared to pause mid-voyage on its exit route. The latest slowdown followed a brief uptick on Tuesday, when two large crude carriers exited the Strait.

The fluctuations come as markets monitor US-Iran peace talks aimed at stabilizing maritime traffic and ending the conflict in the Middle East.

President Trump described ongoing talks to extend a ceasefire as "proceeding nicely." However, securing reliable transit remains challenging, with Israel's escalating military campaign in Lebanon threatening to disrupt fragile diplomatic efforts.

Tracking data showed an Iran-linked container vessel and a Chinese bulk carrier followed two supertankers out of the Strait on Tuesday. Outbound traffic had stalled by Wednesday, with the Hua Lin Wan halting after clearing waters near Iran's Larak Island.

US military officials said on Wednesday that 109 commercial vessels have been forced to reroute since mid-April due to disruptions in the wider Gulf region.

Inbound traffic included a Greek oil products tanker, a China-linked LPG carrier and several Iran-linked fuel vessels earlier in the week. On Wednesday morning, only two inbound container ships were observed, one of them linked to Iran.

Widespread GPS and Automatic Identification System signal interference continues to obscure real-time tracking in and around the Strait, complicating efforts to independently verify vessel movements. Transit figures could be revised upward as vessels reappear after passing through high-risk zones.

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Oil & Energy

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