Following Tehran’s blockade of this vital energy and oil passage in retaliation to joint US-Israeli assaults on Iran, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center elevated the transport corridor’s security threat to critical, causing insurers to immediately suspend war-risk coverage for ships operating in the area.
Only four vessels passed through the strait on March 3, representing a 90% decline compared to the prior seven-day average, according to live tracking information from Windward.
Historically, the strait managed an average of 138 ships daily.
Oil tanker movements mirrored this plunge, with a 90% reduction from pre-attack figures, as per data from MarineTraffic.
Meanwhile, traffic along the Cape of Good Hope recorded 94 transits on March 3, a 35% rise compared with the route’s previous seven-day average.
Leading shipping companies such as Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, and Maersk halted all Gulf operations and redirected vessels around Africa’s southern tip, extending delivery times by 10–20 days and increasing transportation expenses.
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