Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains 70 percent below the levels recorded before the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to a weekly assessment by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The UKMTO released its weekly report on Friday, stating that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained approximately 70 percent below pre-war levels, with 277 vessel movements recorded in the seven days leading up to October 28.
The strait remains under the control of Iranian forces, and vessels attempting to pass through the strategic waterway illegally risk coming under attack. Ships seeking to use unauthorized routes will also face the risk of naval mines.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the Iranian Armed Forces have closed the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the strategic chokepoint illegally would face attacks.
On June 17, Iran and the US reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU), with Pakistan playing a mediating role. Under Article 5 of the MoU, Iran undertook responsibility for reopening and managing the strait.
However, the US sought to undermine Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz by imposing a naval blockade in violation of the deal to end the war. The move prompted Iran to close off the strait indefinitely.
According to UKMTO data, at least 35 attacks on shipping were reported in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz in October, making it the month with the highest number of attacks since the start of the war. The figure surpassed March’s total of 30 attacks.
The UKMTO warned that its figures on attacks against vessels may not reflect the actual number of incidents, as many targeted vessels do not report attacks to the agency, so the numbers may be even higher.
US President Donald Trump claims that the US Navy has removed or detonated all naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, urging vessels to use the route and repeatedly claiming that the strait is open and safe.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) officials, however, have repeatedly said that using the unauthorized routes proposed by the US is unsafe. They have also warned that vessel owners and crews would be held responsible for any attempt to use these routes in defiance of Iranian warnings.
In a statement on Friday, the IRGC Navy said two tankers that attempted to cross the waterway through an unauthorized route were stopped following separate incidents.
The IRGC Navy also said that a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil struck a naval mine while attempting to pass through an unauthorized route.
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