Strait of Hormuz Traffic Falls to Four Ship Crossings on September 16

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to four crossings on September 16. That was it. Tracking data confirmed the count, keeping the strait firmly in single-digit territory as the US-Iran conflict continues pressing commercial operators to stay clear.

The US military said otherwise. Officials told reporters on September 16 that the strait remained open and navigable, a position the tracking numbers have not supported.

MarineRadar recorded 195 unique devices watching the Ras al-Khaimah and Hormuz region in the past 48 hours.

The traffic slump follows Iran's declaration of a maritime exclusion zone around the Strait of Hormuz, which sharpened a shift in operator decisions that was already under way. Most tanker operators have chosen to reroute or suspend Gulf of Oman transits rather than put ships into a zone where Iranian targeting has continued. The market reaction showed up by September 12, when VLCC tanker freight rates on the Gulf of Oman to China route hit 450 Worldscale, the highest figure recorded on that corridor.

Iran's claim of having struck ten ships near Hormuz, including two with US links, as the IRGC extended its declared zone into the Arabian Sea, pushed additional operators to halt transits on risk-management grounds. That pushed additional operators to halt transits on risk-management grounds.

The four-crossing figure reflects what operators judged worth the risk that day. It could change. Ceasefire talks have produced nothing so far.

Separate reporting on the security situation described the US military’s account of destroying two Iranian boats after an attempted seizure of an unmanned vessel. Iranian officials disputed that account.