During the latest monitoring period, one Iran-linked bulk carrier departed the Persian Gulf, while no ships were seen entering the Gulf from the opposite direction. The last commercial vessel without an apparent connection to Iran to transit the strait was the Chinese-owned bulk carrier Sino Ocean, which made the crossing on Saturday morning.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints—has effectively halted following multiple attacks on merchant vessels in the region. Ongoing missile and drone activity continues to pose a significant risk to shipping in the area.
With oil tankers unable to move in or out of the Persian Gulf, storage tanks across the region are rapidly filling and some refineries have begun cutting processing rates. Iraq has already scaled back production, while Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have followed with reductions. Saudi Arabia has responded by boosting shipments from Red Sea export terminals to record levels.
Ship-tracking data also show that by Friday there were only nine empty supertankers remaining in the Gulf, highlighting the growing strain on export logistics as the disruption continues.
Widespread signal interference and vessels disabling their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders have complicated efforts to track ship movements in the region. Analysts say some tankers may be transiting without broadcasting their positions, meaning confirmed traffic levels may not fully reflect actual vessel movements.