Strait of Hormuz traffic sees sharp uptick but remains far below peacetime levels

Maritime data analytics firm Kpler reported on Thursday that Strait of Hormuz traffic increased sharply as stranded sailors finally exited the waterway following a recent regional peace agreement.

However, international transit volumes remain restricted to roughly half of peacetime levels.

Has Strait of Hormuz traffic returned to normal?

Strait of Hormuz traffic remains severely disrupted despite a recent surge in daily vessel crossings. Commercial ships are using multiple fragmented routes because Iran tightly controls the northern passageways through selective permits.

Maritime transit through the vital energy corridor still registers at roughly half its historical pre-war capacity.

Analytics platform Kpler recorded 70 confirmed vessel crossings on Wednesday, marking the highest single-day volume since hostilities broke out.

At least 56 commodity vessels transported oil, gas, and dry bulk through the strategic passage during this period. The tracking data showed an additional 15 commodity vessels crossed the international waterway by midday on Thursday.

The recent data reflect a notable improvement over the previous average of 10 daily crossings during the height of the blockades. The maritime restriction began on March 1 when Iranian forces shut down the waterway following initial US-Israeli military strikes.

Traffic began expanding after June 14, when both nations signed a temporary memorandum of understanding to halt the war.

What is causing confusion for ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz?

For the first time since the shutdown, dry bulk tanker traffic successfully matched its 2025 baseline levels on Wednesday. Maritime tracker AXSMarine documented 22 individual crossings as thousands of stranded seafarers finally gained the ability to exit the Gulf.

A comprehensive evacuation plan led by the United Nations officially commenced operations on Tuesday evening to rescue the mariners.

International shipping conglomerate Maersk confirmed that two of its commercial vessels successfully exited the Gulf during the opening evacuation windows. However, the company noted that three additional cargo ships remain stuck within the heavily monitored regional waters.

Over 11,000 international crew members have faced prolonged entrapment inside the strategic maritime sector due to the conflict.

Commercial ships are currently utilizing fragmented transit routes rather than the centralized, toll-free corridors that historically facilitated pre-war global trade.

Shipping journal Lloyd's List reported that the Iranian military continues to manage northern shipping lanes through strict permitting systems.

Meanwhile, Tehran issued fresh warnings that any unauthorized vessel crossing the waterway without formal approval will face immediate retaliation.

Western naval forces have deployed specialized minesweeping vessels through the Red Sea to clear underwater explosives from the primary shipping channels.

These security operations aim to restore safe, open navigation across a passageway that traditionally handles a fifth of global energy exports.

Amid these ongoing security efforts, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a cargo ship was damaged by an unknown projectile on Thursday.