Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has come to an almost total pause, with no records of oil transport in the last 24 hours, according to an assessment by the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a multinational naval monitoring group focused on the Middle East.
An analysis of navigation signals showed only two commercial crossings in the period, the center said in a report released this Friday (6). The two vessels were cargo ships, not oil tankers.
The war in the Middle East has led to dozens of tankers loaded with oil and gas remaining anchored within the Persian Gulf, cutting off supplies to key buyers in Asia and Europe.
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According to the JMIC, the frequency of attacks against vessels in the strait region remains high, making the crossing risky for ships carrying energy loads worth millions of dollars.
This week, the United States offered insurance guarantees and naval escort for ships crossing the region, after international insurers began to withdraw coverage against war risks. Even so, shipowners still do not consider the measures sufficient to resume operations.
“This represents an almost complete temporary pause in routine commercial traffic,” the JMIC said. On March 4, only one vessel entered and another left the strait.
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The survey considers ships with activated tracking transponders and may not capture vessels that have crossed the passage with the systems turned off. The report also points to sophisticated interference with GPS signals in the region, affecting navigation and communications.
Two ships — MSC Grace and Sonangol Namibe — were also reportedly involved in incidents in the Persian Gulf and near Iraq.
Some vessels have adopted unusual strategies to try to cross the strait safely. The bulk carrier Iron Maiden, for example, left the region transmitting the message “CHINA OWNER” as it crossed the passage. Prior to this, the Bogazici liquefied gas vessel had broadcast that it was a Muslim-owned and Turkish-operated vessel.
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