The Strait of Hormuz saw a sharp decline in ship traffic on Sunday, June 22, 2026, after Iran announced it had once again closed the vital waterway. Data from analytics firm Kpler showed only five vessels passed through the strait on Sunday, a significant drop from 26 ships the previous day. This included three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) each carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude and fuel oil, with one bound for Japan. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the closure in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, just a week after lifting an earlier blockade following a 60-day ceasefire extension for peace negotiations with the United States.
Despite Iran's declaration, the US military maintained that commercial vessels were still operating and that oil continued to flow through the strait. US Central Command reported that 17 million barrels had passed through Hormuz on Saturday. Ship-tracking data indicated that on Saturday and Sunday, five laden oil supertankers with a combined transport capacity of 8 million barrels were seen entering or traveling inside the strait via a route hugging Oman's coast, before going "dark." Some of these vessels later resumed sending signals after reaching the Gulf of Oman, supporting the US assertion that the southern route near Oman's coast can be successfully defended.
The conflicting narratives between Washington and Tehran have created significant uncertainty for shippers, traders, and producers. While Iran claims broad control and insists its northern corridor is the only permitted route, the US military and naval liaison have advised mariners to use the southern route along the Omani side with transponders on. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that US forces were aiding vessels through the southern shipping lane, especially after parts of the main channel were heavily mined during a recent conflict that began on February 28. This ongoing dispute highlights the fragile nature of the region's stability, despite recent efforts to reach a peace deal between the US and Iran.
