Oil tanker traffic through Hormuz at near standstill as attacks strain Iran truce [View all]

Source: Reuters

July 9, 2026 8:44 AM EDT Updated 8 hours ago


LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill on Thursday, according to data and sources, as ​shipping risks escalated after the U.S. renewed airstrikes on Iran, triggering retaliation by Tehran in the Gulf.

Just two ‌tankers had so far sailed through the strait in the early hours of Thursday. They included the crude supertanker Berg 1, which had loaded at Iran's Kharg Island and is subject to U.S. sanctions, according to analysis from Kpler.

The Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker Well Sail, also transited the strait, Kpler analysis showed. ​Its previous loading destination was near Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, according to LSEG ship tracking data. Shipping industry sources ​said vessels were increasingly switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to see all ⁠of the ships crossing.

"Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially stopped, which tells you more about risk perception right ​now than any statement from Washington or Tehran," Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, wrote in a report.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/oil-tanker-traffic-through-hormuz-near-standstill-attacks-strain-iran-truce-2026-07-09/