Vessel traffic through Strait of Hormuz drops amid West Asia tensions

As the conflict in the Middle East intensified, the number of oil tankers and gas carriers passing through the Strait of Hormuz – one of the chokepoints of world shipping – dwindled to a handful from a daily average of 60 to 70 ships in the preceding days, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

The strait typically sees some 14 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate flowing through it, as per the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. government, of which more than 20% is bound for India. As of early 2025 figures, some 30% to 40% of India’s oil imports passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Data from Lloyd’s List, a leading source of maritime information, show that on February 28, 2026, tankers and gas carriers with a total cargo carrying capacity of 6.5 million tons passed through the chokepoint. On March 1, the figure was down to a quarter of a million.

Some 15% of global oil consumed passes through the Strait of Hormuz and any disruption here sends oil prices skyrocketing. The strait can handle some of the largest oil tankers. All oil from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and nearly all of UAE have to pass the strait on ships, though pipelines built in recent times offer some alternatives. Only some 6% of the oil transiting the strait is bound for the U.S.

Strategic importance

Sandwiched between Oman and the UAE on one side, and Iran on the other, the strait is one of the most important oil chokepoints. It links the Persian Gulf in the north with the Gulf of Oman to the south, and the Arabian Sea.

Its location gives Iran considerable leverage in the region as the Iranian coastline runs along the entire northern side of the passage, and given the narrow shipping lanes, vessels come in close to the Iranian waters. This has made the strait a hotspot when regional tensions spike.

Unlike other chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz has limited alternatives. Some Gulf countries have built pipeline routes to bypass the strait. Saudi Arabia runs the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, and the UAE has a line to the port of Fujairah. But pipelines do not have the capacity to replace the volumes that can flow through the strait.