Shipping traffic through Strait of Hormuz plunges as U.S. and Iran resume military strikes

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plunged to a fraction of its normal volume after the collapse of a three-week-old ceasefire. Following Iranian attacks on three commercial tankers in Omani waters, President Donald Trump declared the June 17 peace agreement over. The United States military retaliated by striking 90 coastal targets in Iran, prompting Iranian forces to launch counterstrikes across the Persian Gulf. Commercial traffic along the US-recommended southern route has ground to a halt as both nations fight for control of the strategic waterway.

Hormuz shipping traffic decline

• ▪Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell steeply on July 8, 2026, with only 23 to 25 ships crossing the waterway compared to 47 to 49 the previous week
• ▪Only five commercial vessels were tracked crossing the Strait of Hormuz overnight between July 8 and July 9, 2026, compared to 45 transits on July 6, 2026
• ▪Before the conflict began, an average of 130 to 138 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz each day

US-Iran route control dispute

• ▪Iran demands that all commercial vessels use a northern shipping route close to the Iranian coast, which it declares as the only safe passage
• ▪The United States and its allies recommend that vessels use a southern route through Omani waters, which is protected by the United States Navy

Ship attacks in Omani waters

• ▪Following the attacks on the three commercial vessels, traceable shipping traffic along the Omani route ground to a complete halt on July 8, 2026
• ▪Three commercial vessels—a Qatar-owned liquefied natural gas tanker, a Saudi-owned crude oil tanker, and a Liberia-flagged crude tanker—were attacked while crossing near the Omani route

Peace deal terms

• ▪The June 17, 2026 memorandum of understanding committed Iran to use its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels without charges for 60 days
• ▪The June 17, 2026 agreement stipulated that Iran would conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz

Peace deal violations

• ▪President Donald Trump declared the June 17, 2026 peace agreement over on July 8, 2026, following the Iranian attacks on commercial tankers
• ▪Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes targeting United States military assets and sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Iraq
• ▪The United States military launched airstrikes hitting approximately 90 Iranian coastal targets on July 7 and July 8, 2026, in retribution for the tanker attacks

Strait reopening challenges

• ▪Sea mines laid by Iran in internationally recognized shipping lanes continue to deter maritime traffic from returning to pre-war levels
• ▪The United States government revoked a United States Treasury license that had temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil exports

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