Strait of Hormuz traffic falls sharply to 16 vessels

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained sharply reduced on Monday, April 21, as ship captains and vessel owners continued to exercise caution amid a fragile ceasefire in the region.

According to data from MarineTraffic.com, cited by CNN, a total of 16 ships transited the strategic waterway during the day. Of these, nine vessels entered the strait, including two Iranian-flagged ships, one of which was a tanker. Meanwhile, seven vessels exited the strait, among them one Iranian-flagged cargo ship.

However, the available shipping data provides only a partial snapshot of activity in the area. CNN noted that it cannot independently verify the information from tracking platforms such as MarineTraffic.com. In addition, such data may not fully reflect actual traffic levels, as some vessels may switch off their transponders, while others could engage in signal spoofing to conceal their true location.

Earlier on Monday, US Central Command stated that American forces “have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port” since the start of the US blockade of Iran’s ports last week.

Since the commencement of the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port. pic.twitter.com/G8dl96wN4H

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

By Tamilla Hasanova