Despite the escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, maritime traffic in this vital route remains very limited.
According to data from maritime intelligence analysts at Kpler, only 13 merchant ships were recorded passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Eight of them left the Persian Gulf, while five entered it.
Only one ship – a cargo ship entering the Persian Gulf – reportedly used the southern route near the coast of Oman, which has been promoted by the US military as a safer passage, CNN writes.
According to Kpler, most of the ships that passed through on Wednesday used the route near the Iranian coast. On Thursday, the MarineTraffic platform showed that two oil tankers left the Gulf near Iran, while another was sailing near the coast of Oman.
The volume of maritime traffic is about a tenth of the pre-war average, although some ships are sailing without turning on the transmitters that indicate their location.
Iran has repeatedly warned that all ships must obtain its permission to use the waterway. An Iranian military spokesman said on Thursday that implementing the rules set by Iran is the only way to reopen the strait, which Tehran declared closed after the latest wave of US attacks began.
Following drone attacks on several ships near the strait over the past week, US forces announced on Thursday that they had again struck Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, as well as coastal surveillance facilities, “to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten innocent sailors serving on merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.” /Telegraph