The Strait of Hormuz, 17 August 2026
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively ground to a halt as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires and recent tanker attacks deter operators. Daily transits have plummeted to just 3 to 4 commercial crossings—down roughly 90% from pre-crisis levels—leaving a massive backlog of thousands of idling vessels waiting offshore.
Current Traffic Status
- Daily Transits: Only 3 to 4 verified ship crossings occurred over the last 24 hours, compared to pre-conflict averages of 60 to 135 daily.
- Vessel Backlog: Approximately 3,200 ships—including roughly 800 oil tankers and cargo carriers—remain backed up and idling west of the waterway.
- Oil Shipments: Commercial crude oil and major petroleum product shipments are virtually non-existent as operators adopt a strict wait-and-see stance.
Bab el Mendeb and the Strait of Hormuz
Most people have no idea why these chokepoints are so important until they see it with their own eyes. Here is what they look like on Google Earth.
The Bab el Mendeb is at the tip of Djibouti, on the left. The Strait of Hormuz is between Iran and the northern tip of Oman, on your right. Qatar is that little thumb of land sticking out in the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabian oil and Qatari natural gas are blocked if these two chokepoints are no longer open.
Four years ago, during the last World Cup, we were on the Oceania Nautica and went through the Suez Canal, the Bab el Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz. We booked this tour especially to see these geographic chokepoints. We were shocked when there was no lecture on these geographic features, their origins, or their importance as shipping lanes – and there was no announcement when we went through the Bab or the Strait. Imagine!
Today in the Strait of Hormuz
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