Strait of Hormuz Transits Halted Since Tuesday as US, Iran Clash
The Strait of Hormuz has gone dark to commercial traffic since Tuesday, with the US blocking more than 70 tankers capable of moving 166 million barrels of oil, even as both sides trade blame for derailing peace talks.
The Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil, has been sealed to commercial shipping since Tuesday after US and Iranian forces traded blows near the waterway. American strikes hit missile and drone sites that Washington blamed for assaults on three US warships; Tehran answered by tightening its grip, demanding shipowners hand over vessel histories, cargo values, and more to its Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
No inbound or outbound transits have been observed since the fresh fighting erupted Monday. One oil products tanker, the Interstellar, vanished from tracking off Qeshm Island on Tuesday only to reappear off Pakistan’s coast Friday, signaling a run to Osaka. A second vessel, the Zerba, which had crossed outbound on May 3 after leaving Hamriya in the UAE, was reportedly turned back, possibly twice, by the US Navy near a de facto blockade line between Iran’s Pakistan border and Oman’s shoulder.
The disruption risks collapsing the very negotiations it was meant to influence. Iran is expected to reply shortly to a US-proposed deal to end the war, yet President Donald Trump has warned of escalated strikes if Tehran rejects his terms. Tehran’s response on X laid the failure at Washington’s feet: the continued attacks “highlight the confusion and inability of the ruling authorities in the United States to properly understand the situation and find a reasonable solution to exit their self-created impasse.”
US Central Command stated plainly that American forces are now preventing more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports, ships with capacity exceeding 166 million barrels. Widespread AIS spoofing, long a tactic of Iran-linked vessels that routinely go dark until reaching the Strait of Malacca roughly ten days later, has made real-time verification nearly impossible. Tracking data may be revised upward once ships reappear far from the high-risk zone.
The naval presence itself distorts the numbers. Iran-linked ships entering or exiting the Gulf have historically switched off signals near Hormuz; many will not broadcast again until well into the Arabian Sea or beyond. Even before this week’s blockade, independent confirmation of traffic relied on piecing together positioning data across the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea.
While both capitals insist the other is the obstacle to peace, the waterway that carries the world’s energy supply sits idle. The question now is whether the next Iranian reply arrives before the economic pressure forces one side, or both, to recalculate.
Original reporting: Insurance Journal.
More in National
- HBO's 'War' Offers Classy-Trashy Divorce Drama with West and Miller
Anthology series debuts with a sharp, well-cast first season centered on a bitter London divorce between two lawyers.
- Putin Claims Baltic Rights Violations But Denies War Plans in Europe
Kremlin leader claims response strategy relies on humanitarian grounds and international law.
- Canadian Potash Giant Drops $500M on Vancouver Port Upgrade to Secure Global Food Supply
The massive investment aims to boost exports to non-U.S. markets.