Tracked Hormuz commodity traffic nearly stops after ship attacks
Tracked commodity-vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz nearly stopped over the September 12-13 weekend after attacks on commercial ships, putting renewed pressure on a maritime corridor that carries energy, fertilizer, food and agricultural trade.
Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, September 12, and none were recorded on Sunday, September 13, according to Kpler ship-tracking data reported by Reuters. That compared with 31 commodity-vessel transits during the previous weekend.
The figures do not prove that the waterway was completely closed or that no ships moved. Vessels can operate with automatic identification system, or AIS, transponders switched off, and tracking can be affected by gaps, spoofing and other technical limits. The International Energy Agency has specifically warned that GPS jamming, AIS spoofing and vessels going dark are reported problems in the region.
Attacks put commercial traffic under pressure
The slowdown followed the United Arab Emirates’ statement that three vessels operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked while in transit last week, Reuters reported.
The Associated Press separately reported that an Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, citing Iranian state media. Iranian authorities blamed a “terrorist enemy,” but responsibility was not independently established in the available reporting. AP also reported that commercial ship traffic remained low.
Those reports show a measurable change in shipping activity without establishing that all vessels have stopped moving through the strait.
Why Hormuz matters beyond oil
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The World Trade Organization identifies energy, fertilizer, food and agricultural products as sectors exposed to disruption there.
A prolonged slowdown could therefore affect more than crude-oil shipments. Energy-intensive manufacturers, fertilizer buyers, food producers and transport operators may face higher insurance and freight costs, longer delivery times or the need to use more expensive alternative routes. These are exposure channels and risks to monitor, not evidence that global shortages have already occurred.
The WTO has established a daily, near-real-time Strait of Hormuz trade tracker using vessel data and trade intelligence. It also presents trade and trade-related measures connected to the disruption. The organization says those charts are informal situation reports and that the detailed list is not exhaustive.
Seafarers face the immediate danger
The disruption is also a maritime-safety and labor issue. The International Maritime Organization says more than 20,000 seafarers, port workers and offshore crews are affected in the region, including people stranded on vessels unable to exit the Strait of Hormuz.
On an incident page updated September 10, the IMO recorded 75 confirmed incidents and 22 confirmed seafarer fatalities. The list includes damaged ships and deaths or injuries in and around the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
The IMO says it has prepared an evacuation plan, coordinated with member states and industry, to safely evacuate around 6,000 seafarers from the region. That plan is currently paused.
What to watch next
The next meaningful indicators will be whether tracked vessel counts recover, whether maritime advisories change and whether operators begin sustained diversions through alternative ports, land corridors or other maritime routes. New government trade measures, insurance conditions and evidence of resumed commercial passage will help show whether the weekend slowdown was temporary or becoming a broader supply-chain disruption.
For now, the clearest conclusion is limited but significant: tracked commodity traffic through Hormuz fell from 31 vessels during the previous weekend to five on September 12 and none recorded on September 13. That is a serious warning about shipping risk, but not proof of a total closure.
Sources
- Reuters reporting published by Gulf Times
- World Trade Organization: Strait of Hormuz and global trade
- International Maritime Organization: Middle East shipping and seafarers
- Associated Press report on the September 13 cargo-vessel strike
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.