Strait of Hormuz Oil Tanker Traffic Rebounds to War-Time Average, Shipping Resumes from Low Point

BlockBeats News, May 18th, according to AFP citing Kpler shipping data report, against the background of the Middle East conflict, the number of commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz rebounded last week, with a total of 55 commodity ships passing through, a significant increase from the 19 ships in the previous week, which was a temporary low point since the outbreak of the conflict.

The data shows that since March 2026, an average of about 55 commercial ships have been passing through the strait every week, and last week's level has returned to the average range during wartime. About half of them are oil tankers, including 3 very large crude carriers heading towards China, Oman, and Japan.

Analysis indicates that despite the recovery in traffic volume, it is still below the level of peacetime. After the outbreak of the conflict, the strait, as a global transit route for about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, continues to be affected by geopolitical and sanction-induced shipping instability.

The report also mentioned that Iran has strengthened its management of the passage mechanism and has imposed fees and restrictions on some shipping, making this key waterway continue to be one of the focal points for US-Iran negotiations and regional security games.