Shipping through Strait of Hormuz falls for third day WINDWARD DATA

Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined for a third consecutive day amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, according to maritime analytics firm Windward.

The company said that only six vessels transited the strategic waterway over the past 12 hours, down sharply from the typical 18 to 22 crossings recorded just days earlier.

Windward also reported a rise in so-called “dark transits,” in which vessels switch off their tracking transponders to conceal their movements. Such activity now accounts for nearly 40% of total traffic — the highest level observed in the past six days.

The disruption follows a series of U.S. military strikes against Iran carried out on consecutive nights — Wednesday and Thursday — in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. nighttime strikes have since ceased.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he considers the ceasefire with Iran to be over, while adding that he remains open to negotiations.

By Tamilla Hasanova