Shipping through Strait of Hormuz drops to minimum levels along Oman coast

The number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz along the coast of Oman has fallen to its lowest level, Bloomberg reports.

On July 3 and 4, at least eight ships unexpectedly turned back in the area. Four of them later changed course and proceeded along a route near Iran’s coastline. The vessels included oil tankers, bulk carriers and car carriers.

According to data from analytics firm Kpler, 19 ships crossed the strait in both directions on July 4, but only one explicitly reported using the Omani route. A day earlier, 13 vessels used that passage.

No official explanation has been given for the developments. Bloomberg notes that Tehran has repeatedly stated that vessels should transit the strait only along routes approved by Iran.

By Jeyhun Aghazada