Strait of Hormuz Traffic Plummets Amid US-Iran Blockades

Visible commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to fewer than 20 ships during the weekend of August 22-23, 2026. This decline follows dual blockades by the United States and Iran, alongside 23 projectile strikes since July 6. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that AIS-detected transits remain approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines.

Despite the drop in visible traffic, a covert US-organized corridor along the coast of Oman continues to move approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day, indicating that actual physical flow exceeds transponder data. The traffic dip coincides with a scheduled announcement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding the toughest US sanctions in history against Iran.

In response to the sanctions, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, threatened to halt all Gulf oil exports. Rezaei declared that any country cooperating with the US sanctions would be treated as an act of war. Simultaneously, Iran has passed legislation to charge fees on vessels for navigation and safety services.