The US launched fresh strikes against Iran on Thursday, marking the fifth consecutive night of attacks to degrade Tehran's military capabilities, as shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz remained constrained as security risks continued to weigh on energy flows.
"At 2 p.m. ET today [Thursday], US forces began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the sixth consecutive night to further degrade Iranian military capabilities," US Centcom posted on X.
The escalation has kept pressure on energy markets and raised concerns about the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
Commercial shipping activity through the strategic waterway showed limited signs of recovery following a recent agreement but has since lost momentum, according to Kpler's shipping data.
Confirmed crude and condensate flows through Hormuz fell 62% to about 4.1 million barrels per day, while regional oil loadings declined 47%. Though some cargoes continue to move, Kpler said the Strait remains operational but under severe restrictions, with shipping companies limiting exposure to elevated risks.
Kpler said that the market has so far absorbed much of the disruption through alternative export routes and weaker Chinese demand, as passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains selective rather than closed.
However, uncertainty remains over whether Gulf producers can restore a reliable and repeatable loading cycle rather than move cargoes only during brief periods of calm.
Traffic through the Strait remained subdued on July 15, with 13 confirmed crossings recorded, down from 21 the previous day, according to MarineTraffic data. For the third consecutive day, most traffic was concentrated along the Iranian-controlled route, which accounted for 10 of the 13 transits.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations said on Thursday that vessels continued to use both the southern Omani corridor and the northern route, but operator caution persisted following recent attacks and rising military tensions.
UKMTO said Iranian forces continued harassment activity against merchant vessels, including hailing vessels, unmanned aerial system overflights and targeted surveillance of AIS-enabled ships.
Meanwhile, commercial traffic through the Southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb remained steady, the UKMTO said.
No confirmed attacks against merchant vessels were reported in the previous 48 hours, with coalition naval forces maintaining a visible presence in the area.
Though Houthi rhetoric remained elevated, the agency said there were no operational indicators or targeting activity suggesting an immediate escalation against commercial shipping.
The International Maritime Organization's daily Strait of Hormuz incident tracker showed a total of four confirmed attacks off the Omani coast and the Persian Gulf this week. These incidents bring the total number of confirmed maritime security incidents in the region to 57 as of Thursday.
The IMO tracker provides a daily log of verified strikes on ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began, with the earliest incident recorded on March 1.