Strait of Hormuz traffic remains steady despite attacks on commercial vessels: S&P Global

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained broadly stable despite fresh attacks on merchant vessels and escalating military tensions in the region, according to data released by S&P Global.

S&P Global MINT and S&P Global Commodities at Sea recorded 47 vessel transits through the strategic waterway on July 7, largely unchanged from the revised total of 48 crossings on July 6 after the addition of a Saudi Arabia-linked very large crude carrier (VLCC).

The report said shipping activity continued despite attacks on commercial vessels. The United States Central Command confirmed that the Bahri-operated VLCC WEDYAN, which had loaded Saudi crude from Ras Tanura on July 3, and the Liberian-flagged VLCC CYPRUS PROSPERITY, which loaded crude at Das Island on July 6, were targeted on July 7.

The incidents triggered US strikes on Iranian assets, mainly in Hormozgan province, followed by retaliatory Iranian attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait on July 8. The United States Department of the Treasury also revoked a licence issued in June that had permitted Iran to sell oil in the global market.

While overall traffic remained stable, S&P Global noted a sharp increase in "dark" transits, where vessels sailed with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals switched off. Around 36% of all crossings on July 7 were conducted without AIS visibility, significantly higher than the July month-to-date average of 21%.

Only one vessel was visibly tracked using the route along the Omani coast during the day, reflecting heightened caution among ship operators amid security concerns.

The day's traffic comprised 10 bulk carriers, seven VLCCs, six product tankers, five LPG carriers, five container ships, five cargo vessels and several miscellaneous ships.

Inbound traffic accounted for only one-quarter of total crossings, the lowest daily share since June 12. According to the report, this suggests increased caution among shipowners and charterers regarding inbound voyages into the Gulf, although some inbound vessels may have transited with AIS switched off and could be identified retrospectively.

Energy-related vessels represented 38% of all movements, the lowest proportion since June 28.

All seven outbound VLCCs were assessed as compliant. They included tankers linked to South Korea's Sinokor, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Japanese shipowners and Indonesia's Pertamina. The tanker PERTAMINA PRIDE, carrying Saudi crude, is currently bound for Pertamina's refinery at Cilacap in Indonesia.

The report also identified 11 additional oil and LPG tanker movements, including four linked to Iran. Among them was GAS ENDURANCE, an Iranian-linked very large gas carrier sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which is believed to have loaded Iranian LPG while operating with limited AIS visibility before exiting the Strait.

Another notable movement was the Indian-flagged VLGC NANDA DEVI, the only inbound LPG carrier on July 7. The vessel had been stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz at the onset of the conflict in March before leaving the region in mid-March. Its return marks only its second entry into the Middle East Gulf since hostilities began, indicating continued caution in its trading activity, S&P Global said.