World News
Strait of Hormuz daily vessel traffic falls 95 percent six months into Iran war
The maritime chokepoint closure has reduced Gulf crude exports by nearly half and forced major shifts in global shipping routes.
The short version
- Daily vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz dropped from over 100 to about five following the start of the US-Israel war on Iran and the IRGC's closure announcement.
- Gulf crude oil exports fell 47 percent, dropping to roughly nine million barrels per day as of August 2026.
- Regional ports experienced steep declines in traffic, led by an 86 percent drop in daily port calls in Kuwait and a 69 percent decline in the United Arab Emirates.
- With oil inventory buffers built before the war now largely depleted, analysts warn of heightened market volatility in the coming months.
Key facts
- Daily ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell from over 100 vessels to an average of five after the IRGC announced the waterway's closure on March 2.[Al Jazeera]
- Crude oil exports from the Gulf region declined 47 percent from about 17 million barrels per day in 2025 to roughly nine million bpd as of August 2026.[Al Jazeera]
- Kuwait recorded an 86 percent decrease in daily port calls, the largest drop among regional nations, while port calls in the United Arab Emirates declined 69 percent.[Al Jazeera]
- Oil prices remain roughly 20 percent higher than before the war, down from peak levels that exceeded $130 per barrel in April.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The extent to which energy markets can absorb further disruptions remains uncertain as stockpiles built prior to the conflict are exhausted.[Al Jazeera]