Commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to decline as renewed hostilities between the US and Iran disrupt energy flows through the strategic waterway, according to shipping data released on Tuesday.
Vessel transits via the Strait of Hormuz continued to decline on Monday, according to MarineTraffic data, which showed a total of 10 verified crossings, down by six from the previous day.
"Low risk commercial vessels accounted for the sharpest day on day reduction, while nine of the 10 crossings used the Iranian Route," according to MarineTraffic.
MarineTraffic said that crew safety, insurance costs, and operational acceptance remain the primary constraints on transit decisions, as shipowners weigh whether transiting through the key chokepoint is commercially viable.
TPH Energy strategists said the slowdown comes amid heightened security risks following deadly attacks on two UAE oil tankers, claimed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The strikes have further restricted passage through the Strait, with shipping activity already heavily suppressed before the attacks.
Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization, the UN's shipping agency, on Monday confirmed 53 maritime security incidents linked to the Middle East conflict.
The deterioration in maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz comes just 26 days after the US and Iran signed a 60-day interim agreement, a framework that had temporarily reduced tensions and allowed limited oil flows to resume.
TankerTrackers posted on X on Monday that during this period, over 80 million barrels of Iranian crude oil and refined products, worth over $6 billion at current prices, have left the region, including shipments in the weeks leading up to the agreement.
However, with the US blockade now being reinstated, TankerTrackers said about 30 million barrels of Iranian crude oil may remain awaiting departure.
Over 60 million barrels of floating storage capacity remain available to Iran within the blockade perimeter, potentially allowing Tehran to continue production while holding unsold crude offshore.
The US blockade threatens to reverse the fragile recovery in Gulf shipping activity and could force traders to reassess the availability of Middle Eastern crude supplies.
US Central Command posted on X that military forces had resumed the blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
"There are currently more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East," Centcom said.
The latest escalation followed a series of retaliatory strikes between the US and Iran after Tehran moved to enforce restrictions on Hormuz traffic.
The US Centcom conducted an additional round of strikes on Tuesday against Iran to hamper its ability to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway handles about one-fifth of global oil consumption and remains critical for exports from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar.
TPH analysts said any prolonged disruption could tighten global crude markets, increase freight and insurance costs, and complicate energy flows into Asia.