Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has risen nearly fourfold in two weeks, with almost 200 vessels making the passage as more ships use an Oman-side corridor, the U.S. Navy continues escorts and analysts say Iran appears to be losing some control over the vital waterway.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Commercial shipping is returning to the Strait of Hormuz at a sharply accelerated pace despite continuing U.S.-Iran hostilities, with vessel traffic through the strategically critical waterway increasing nearly 400% over the past two weeks.
Nearly 200 ships crossed the strait during the latest reporting period, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, compared with approximately 150 the previous week and about 40 two weeks earlier.
The increase remains far short of restoring normal shipping levels. Current traffic represents only about 20% of the volume recorded before the war, according to figures reported by the New York Post.
The rising number of crossings nevertheless indicates that commercial operators are increasingly willing to attempt the passage even as Iranian attacks on vessels continue and the United States maintains a naval presence in and around the waterway.
Ships have also significantly altered the routes they use.
Approximately 80% of vessels now moving through Hormuz are traveling through a corridor close to the coast of Oman, placing them on the opposite side of the strait from Iran. Many ships are also switching off their electronic tracking systems while transiting the area in an effort to make their movements more difficult to detect.
The changing pattern has prompted some energy-market analysts to conclude that Tehran’s ability to control shipping through the strait has weakened.
“It increasingly looks like Iran has at least partially lost control of the strait,” Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler, told CNN.
The sharp increase in maritime traffic and the use of the southern corridor have also been highlighted on X.
The increase has occurred even though Iranian forces have continued striking ships attempting to navigate the area. Five vessels were hit by Iranian projectiles this week, with two people wounded or killed. None of the five ships was destroyed.
The U.S. Navy has been guiding commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz since May, providing another avenue for ships seeking to cross the waterway amid the conflict.
President Donald Trump said earlier this week that mines had been completely cleared from the strait and that the passage was reopened.
The improvement in maritime traffic coincides with a broader shift in the Trump administration’s strategy toward Tehran following the expiration Monday of a 60-day negotiating period between the United States and Iran.
With no agreement reached, Trump has moved toward a campaign centered heavily on economic isolation, sanctions and continued maritime pressure.
On Wednesday, Trump announced what he called “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!” after saying Iran had “TRAGICALLY” rejected his peace agreement.
“This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” Trump said.
The president also warned countries, companies and financial institutions against helping Tehran circumvent the pressure campaign.
“Their navy is gone, their air force is destroyed, their military factories are now rubble, their currency is worthless, and their country is hanging by a thread. Today, I am also announcing that ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences. Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies — It all needs to stop NOW. You know who you are.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced that message Thursday during an interview with CNBC, describing a choice facing governments and businesses that continue economic relationships with Iran.
“It is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision,” Bessent said.
“If you insist on doing business with them [Iran]… then the U.S. Treasury and the US government will put its full might and force against you.”
Bessent said a new round of measures consisting of “the toughest sanctions in history,” combined with the continuing naval blockade involving the Strait of Hormuz, would operate as a “one-two punch” against Tehran.
Iran has responded with threats of military retaliation rather than signaling that it intends to yield to the new economic campaign.
On Friday, Tehran promised “devastating responses” if Washington imposes additional economic sanctions.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran’s military, told state media that Iranian forces would deliver “revolutionary, crushing, regret-inducing, and devastating responses” to U.S. attempts to increase economic pressure on the Islamic government.
Abdollahi said Iran’s armed forces “maintain comprehensive, smart, and up-to-date readiness across all domains, including land, sea, air, air defense, space, and cyberspace.”
The threats come as conditions inside the Strait of Hormuz appear to be moving in the opposite direction from the severe disruption seen earlier in the war.
Although commercial traffic remains only one-fifth of pre-war levels and vessels still face the possibility of Iranian attack, the rise from roughly 40 ships two weeks ago to nearly 200 represents a substantial restoration of maritime movement through one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.
The concentration of ships along Oman’s coast, increased use of disabled tracking systems and continuing U.S. naval assistance have given commercial vessels alternative methods of navigating the passage even while the conflict continues.
With Washington simultaneously escalating economic pressure on Tehran, the reopening of maritime traffic is becoming another front in the wider confrontation: Iran is threatening stronger retaliation while more commercial vessels are once again moving through the waterway it has sought to control.
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