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Traffic Recovery Through the Strait of Hormuz

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
5 min read
Traffic Recovery Through the Strait of Hormuz

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is starting to pick up again. Kpler data shows it’s back up to 55 commodity vessels per week now. That’s a real rebound from the wartime low of just nineteen ships.

This increase happened between May 11 and May 17. It brings shipping activity closer to what you’d expect since the war actually kicked off.

That low number of nineteen vessels was the absolute nadir. It happened right after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28th. Everything ground to a halt then. Tehran effectively blocked the Strait, causing massive headaches for global energy markets.

So, this latest recovery suggests some sort of partial stabilization of movement through that critical shipping lane. Not a full return to normal, mind you.

Iranian state media claimed something different, though. They reported that the Revolutionary Guards let more ships through recently. They said over thirty vessels cleared in a single day earlier that week. But officials still insist that shipping won't just snap back to pre-war norms.

What those fifty-five ships actually were is a mixed bag. Kpler noted around half were tankers carrying liquids. We’re talking about three very large crude carriers heading for China, Oman, and Japan. There were also fifteen dry bulk ships and sixteen LPG tankers moving through.

The picture is still fragmented. Only one LNG tanker, carrying Qatari gas bound for Pakistan, managed to cross during that specific week. That brings the total LNG transits since the conflict began to just eight.

Looking back, since March 1st, we’ve seen 663 commodity vessels pass through. That averages out to about 55 per week when things are running smoothly. That’s how much traffic normally handles. It’s roughly one-fifth of all global oil and LNG shipments.

Iran hasn't been sitting still, either. They’ve moved to tighten up oversight of the Strait. They announced a new body to manage operations and start slapping charges on any vessels that pass through. That just adds another layer of uncertainty to the whole shipping market.

Kpler data also shows that Chinese-linked vessels made up a small part of last week’s traffic. A few Hong Kong-flagged ships were heading toward Oman and the UAE. Analysts point out that tracking destinations is still messy. Ships often just hold back information about where they are going while they’re in transit.

Ultimately, the Strait of Hormuz remains this huge sticking point. It’s the epicenter of those stalled US-Iran negotiations. Nothing has broken through yet.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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