According to Kpler, merchant shipping through the Hormuz Strait fell to 144 vessels from March 1 to March 23 as the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict escalated, highlighting risks to a key global energy chokepoint.
Commercial ship transits through the Hormuz Strait fell about 95% between March 1 and March 23, with only 144 merchant ships recorded, according to Kpler. The drop came as the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict escalated. The strait is a critical route for global energy markets, handling about a quarter of seaborne oil trade and roughly a fifth of LNG shipments, while 2024 volumes averaged around 20 million barrels per day. Existing vessel data also showed that 91 of the recorded ships were oil and gas vessels.