According to AFP report on August 31, due to concerns of attacks, the number of merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has further decreased recently, and various shipping companies have taken cautious measures. Data released by the ship tracking organization Kpler on the same day showed that during the recent weekend, the number of visible merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz had dropped to 5 per day.
Data shows that from August 29th to 30th, all the ships passing through the strait were small vessels, including two liquefied petroleum gas transport ships. However, since some ships turned off their automatic identification systems to avoid attacks, the actual number of ships passing through the strait may be slightly higher than the statistical data.
August 28th, Iran’s Ahbashi Port, ships at the Strait of Hormuz. IC photo
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ghariabadi said on the 29th that the Hormuz Strait is currently completely closed, and any ships passing through the strait must obtain Iranian coordination and permission. He emphasized that Iran has reached an understanding with Oman regarding arrangements for ships to pass through the Hormuz Strait, but the Strait will not be reopened until the United States fulfills its commitments.
The Hormuz Strait is a key route for global energy transportation. It previously handled approximately one-fifth of the world's crude oil and refined oil shipments, as well as being an important route for liquefied natural gas transportation. However, due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the flow through the Hormuz Strait has not yet been restored.
On August 30 local time, the US military carried out an airstrike on Laraq Island near the Hormuz Strait, targeting rocket launchers on the island. This was the first military strike against Iranian targets by the US military in over a month. In response, Iran launched a counterattack, and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard announced that they had launched missile and drone attacks against an American airbase located within Jordan.
