Cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped by about 95 percent since the Middle East war erupted with US Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. From March 1 to the early hours of March 24, only 149 commodity carrier crossings were recorded in the 167 kilometre long waterway.
Data from analytics firm Kpler shows that 94 of these crossings were by oil and gas tankers, with around 61 percent of them loaded and more than two thirds sailing eastwards out of the strait. On Monday, Iran flagged tankers Artman and Kiazand, along with US sanctioned vessel Lenore, were among the few ships to pass through.
The Jasmin tanker sailed in the opposite direction, heading towards an Iranian port after departing Karachi. A Chinese owned container ship, Newvoyager, also transited the strait after reportedly making a payment to Iranian authorities, although the amount and method could not be independently confirmed.
Lloyd’s List editor Richard Meade said political pragmatism has led to a small increase in state negotiated transits in recent days, but warned this does not mean the security situation has improved. He stressed that Iran remains highly capable of damaging ships using the route.
Many of the recent crossings have used a Tehran approved northern corridor around Larak Island, close to the Iranian coast. Lloyd’s List reported that more than 20 ships have taken this so called corridor, with most of them Greek owned and others owned in India, Pakistan and Syria.
The journal noted that traffic is being diverted into Iranian territorial waters in what has been dubbed the “Tehran Toll Booth”. It said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps is believed to be checking vessel details and in some cases collecting passage fees from ships using the route.
Analysts say most vessels currently using the strait are Iranian, Greek or Chinese owned or flagged. Iran accounts for the largest share of ships, followed by Greek and Chinese carriers, reflecting Iran’s continued control over the chokepoint and its own oil exports.
An AFP analysis of passage data indicates that more than 40 percent of ships transiting the strait since the war began are under US, EU or UK sanctions. Among oil and gas tankers alone, 57 percent fall into this sanctioned category, many of them part of a so called shadow fleet.
JPMorgan commodities analysts report that about 98 percent of observable oil traffic through the strait in early March was Iranian, averaging 1.3 million barrels per day. Most of this oil is heading to Asia, especially China, as Europe bound liquefied natural gas cargoes are diverted eastward due to tight supply and rising spot prices.
MarineTraffic data shows that around 11 LNG tankers originally destined for Europe have changed course to Asia since March 3. In normal times, about one fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas moves through the Strait of Hormuz.
About the author
Streaming Shift, Career Attacks Affected My Fanbase – Lizzo
American singer Lizzo said the music industry's shift from radio to streaming platforms contributed to a decline in her fanbase over the past few years. The Grammy-winning artist addressed the issue while responding to a fan on X who noted that her following had reduced. She stated that the industry's move toward streaming has affected artists who relied on traditional radio exposure, explaining: "The industry changed so much in the last 3 yrs. Streaming replaced radio & I was a radio darling. That's how my fans discovered my music." "Not to mention the very obvious & public attack on my career changed things. But I'm out here doing my absolute best," she wrote when addressing the fan. Lizzo also alluded to a lawsuit she faced in August 2023, where three former backup dancers accused her of various forms of harassment, […]
Christian Eriksen Doing Well After Collapsing During Friendly
Christian Eriksen experienced a collapse during Denmark's friendly match against Ukraine but is now conscious and alert, according to the Danish Football Association. The match, held in Odense, was interrupted in the 65th minute when Eriksen fell, and it was called off shortly thereafter. "Christian is doing well and left the field on his own," stated Morten Boesen, Denmark's national team physician. He added, "From my perspective, the pacemaker functioned as intended. He was momentarily unconscious but quickly regained awareness, and we established contact with him promptly." The 34-year-old midfielder was able to walk off the pitch independently before being taken to hospital in Odense for further tests to ascertain the reason behind this episode. Boesen mentioned, "He will now have additional tests at the hospital to ascertain the reason behind this episode. We are maintaining regular communication with him […]
Christian Eriksen Doing Well After Collapsing During Friendly
Christian Eriksen experienced a collapse during Denmark's friendly match against Ukraine but is now conscious and alert, according to the Danish Football Association. The match, held in Odense, was interrupted in the 65th minute when Eriksen fell, and it was called off shortly thereafter. "Christian is doing well and left the field on his own," stated Morten Boesen, Denmark's national team physician. He added, "From my perspective, the pacemaker functioned as intended. He was momentarily unconscious but quickly regained awareness, and we established contact with him promptly." The 34-year-old midfielder was able to walk off the pitch independently before being taken to hospital in Odense for further tests to ascertain the reason behind this episode. Boesen mentioned, "He will now have additional tests at the hospital to ascertain the reason behind this episode. We are maintaining regular communication with him […]
Florentino Pérez Re-elected as Real Madrid President
Florentino Pérez has been re-elected as Real Madrid president after defeating rival candidate Enrique Riquelme in the club's first contested presidential election in 20 years. The club's electoral commission announced that Pérez secured 65% of the vote with 21,741 ballots, while Riquelme claimed 35% with 11,814 votes. Pérez, 79, has been Real Madrid president since 2009, and before that between 2000 and 2006, making this his second stint in charge of the club. He proclaimed victory during a speech at a hotel near the Bernabéu stadium, while his rival candidate, Enrique Riquelme, accepted defeat. It was the first contested election the club had held in 20 years, with Pérez elected unopposed in the previous five electoral cycles in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025. In January 2025, Pérez was previously re-elected as the club's president until 2029, but following his […]
Bellingham Must Fight for England World Cup Starting Spot, Tuchel
England manager Thomas Tuchel has warned Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham that he must fight for a starting spot at the 2026 World Cup, citing intense competition within a squad of 14-15 potential starters. "Yes, he has," Tuchel said when asked whether Bellingham has a fight on his hands to be in the starting XI. Tuchel explained that while Bellingham is undeniably one of England's starters, the competition is fierce and roles can shift throughout the tournament. "He knows he is one of the starters, but we have 14 or 15 potential starters. These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are 14 or 15 proper starters and Jude is one of them," the England boss told reporters. Bellingham will battle it out with Morgan Rogers to determine who starts as England's No.10 for the World […]
FG Clears Over 1,240 Contractors Under N100m Claims
The federal government has cleared over 1,240 contractors with verified claims under N100 million, marking a major step in addressing the government's payment backlog to indigenous construction firms. The clearance follows sustained protests by the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) over an estimated debt backlog for capital projects executed during recent fiscal years. The Federal Ministry of Finance maintains that payments were only authorised following a rigorous multi-stage verification process to ensure claims were genuine and properly documented. The clearance exercise includes contractors across various sectors including infrastructure development, housing projects,道路 construction, water supply systems, and electricity generation facilities. Minister of State for Finance Dr. Doris Uzoka Anite confirmed the disbursement in a statement issued after sustained protests at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters by indigenous firms. The payment aims to address a portion of the estimated […]
Related
Migrants Allege Kidnapping and Abuse in Libya
More than 300 migrants from Iraq's Kurdistan region were allegedly kidnapped and subjected to severe abuse in Libya while attempting to reach the United Kingdom, according to testimonies from former captives and information gathered during a recent investigation. The migrants, most of them young men, were reportedly detained by an armed group after arriving in Libya during the summer of 2025. Families were later contacted and ordered to pay ransom demands of $5,000 for each captive. Relatives who failed to make prompt payments were allegedly threatened with the removal of their loved ones' organs. Several former hostages who have since returned home described months of captivity under harsh conditions. They reported being held in overcrowded cells, suffering physical abuse, and receiving minimal food and medical care. Some of the released migrants showed scars and injuries they said resulted from torture […]
Iran and Israel Pause Attacks Amid Diplomatic Push
Iran and Israel have announced a halt in their latest military exchanges, easing fears of a broader regional escalation after both sides launched attacks against each other for the first time since a ceasefire agreement reached in April. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was suspending military operations "for the moment", while stressing that the country's confrontation with Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah remains unresolved. Earlier, Iran's military stated that it had concluded its operations after delivering what it described as a "painful response" to Israeli actions. Tehran warned that any future attacks by Israel, including those carried out in Lebanon, would trigger a stronger retaliation. The latest confrontation began after Iran launched missiles toward Israel on Sunday, describing the attack as a response to an Israeli strike in Beirut. Israel retaliated overnight with air […]
Trump: Israel and Iran Must Immediately Stop Shooting
US President Donald Trump on Monday urged Iran and Israel to cease hostilities, as both countries engaged in tit-for-tat attacks that seriously threatened talks for a deal to end the Middle East war. Trump posted on his TruthSocial account: "Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting," hours after the two nations attacked each other for the first time since a ceasefire two months ago. The appeal came as Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks against each other, marking the most serious escalation since the ceasefire that took effect on April 8. Days earlier, Trump had reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from further attacks, but Israel struck a petrochemical plant in Iran's southwest along with military targets elsewhere. Hours earlier, Trump said new strikes by Israel and Iran would not affect his administration's peace talks with Tehran, […]
Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday, seriously testing a fragile truce and threatening hopes for a deal to end the Middle East war. The new attacks, including a strike on an Iranian petrochemical complex, came hours after US President Donald Trump called on Israel to refrain from retaliating against Tehran's missiles. The retaliation followed Israel saying it fired on western and central Iran in tit-for-tat action against Tehran's assault on Sunday of 11 missiles, all of which were intercepted with no casualties. Israel's military and Iranian local media said Monday that Israel struck a petrochemical company in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran, a major industrial complex that had been hit before in April. The escalation came after Israel carried out an air raid on southern Beirut, killing at least two people and wounding 20, which Iran said "crossed all red […]
Iran Guards Say They Targeted Petrochemical Facility in Israel
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has launched a missile strike targeting industrial and petrochemical facilities in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. In a statement carried by state-linked media, the Guards described the attack as retaliation for recent Israeli strikes on Iran’s petrochemical infrastructure, including major complexes in Mahshahr and Asaluyeh in the country’s southwest. The IRGC said its Aerospace Force “struck equivalent industrial targets” in Haifa after what it called American‑Israeli aggression against Iran’s petrochemical sector, warning that further attacks would follow if Israeli strikes continue. Iranian officials framed the operation as part of a broader response to strikes that have severely disrupted Iran’s petrochemical exports, a key source of revenue for Tehran. In April and early June, Israel’s military confirmed it had hit major petrochemical sites in Mahshahr and Asaluyeh, saying the complexes produced chemical […]
Israel Military: Iran Fired Nearly 30 Missiles at Israel Since Sunday
An Israeli military official says Iran has fired nearly 30 ballistic missiles towards Israel since Sunday night, marking the most serious flare-up between the two countries since a ceasefire paused the Iran war in April. The barrages followed Israeli strikes on military targets in Iran and Lebanon, including Hezbollah-linked sites in Beirut, late on Sunday. “Last night the Iranian regime began firing ballistic missiles towards Israel… they fired close to 30 ballistic missiles towards Israel,” the official told journalists on Monday, adding that Yemen’s Houthi rebels separately launched two missiles at the country. Israeli air defence systems, backed by allied capabilities, were activated to intercept the projectiles, with warning sirens sending residents in parts of Israel into shelters. The renewed exchange is the first direct Iranian missile fire at Israel since the April truce ended an earlier phase of the […]