(London, 10th)—UK-based Windward Maritime Analytics on the 9th released a report stating that, due to ongoing clashes between the US and Iran, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plunged, and commercial ship movement leaving the Persian Gulf has essentially ground to a halt.
According to Xinhua, the report stated that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has recently experienced sharp fluctuations. On the 7th, there were 51 recorded passages through the Strait, with the number of vessels departing the Persian Gulf surging to 35; on the 8th, 35 passages were recorded, and among the 18 vessels departing, only two used the southern route, indicating that after attacks occurred the previous night, ship operators chose to avoid the Oman-side route; from the night of the 8th to the early hours of the 9th, there were only 5 recorded passages, with just one vessel leaving the Persian Gulf.
The report pointed out that the southern channel of the Strait of Hormuz has been essentially abandoned, and outbound commercial shipping traffic has, for the first time since partial recovery in mid-June, entered a state of effective shutdown. Currently, the risk level in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters is classified as "critical." The combination of continued US-Iran clashes, breakdown of a ceasefire, renewed sanctions, and uncertainty in navigation security are further escalating the risks in the region.
US Central Command stated on social media (Eastern US time, 8th) that US forces had carried out further strikes against Iran that day. This marked the second consecutive day of US military action against Iran, citing recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. In response, Iran's military launched strikes against several US military targets in the Middle East.
After the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was reached, the Strait of Hormuz primarily has two navigation routes: the northern route controlled by Iran, and the southern route near Oman, with the US military providing navigational assistance in the southern route.