Hormuz commodity traffic collapses to two ships as tankers take hits

Commodity vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz fell to just two on Monday from 10 a day earlier, preliminary shipping data showed on Tuesday — a near-total choke on a waterway that normally moves about a fifth of the world’s daily oil and LNG supply. Before the Iran conflict began on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels a day. The latest count excludes any ships that may have crossed with Automatic Identification System transponders switched off. Kpler data identified Monday’s crossings as a Panama-flagged Supramax carrying minerals and a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier entering via an unknown route. Separate attacks added to the risk: shipping intelligence firm Marisks said the Isle of Man-flagged crude tanker LR Stephanie was struck by an unidentified projectile while entering the waterway on Monday, with minor injuries to two crew, and that the Liberia-flagged LPG tanker Al Maryah, managed by ADNOC, was hit outbound on Sunday. Both vessels continued without towing; responsibility for the strikes remains unconfirmed. At the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 26 vessels crossed Monday, unchanged from the day before. Source: Reuters With Hormuz traffic down from roughly 125 ships a day to two, can markets absorb another week of near-zero transit — or does this force a sharper diplomatic push at the UN? https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hormuz-vessel-traffic-falls-two-data-shows-2026-09-22/