Security Risks in the Waterway Escalated This Week

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely frozen, with only occasional movements of Iran-linked vessels breaking the lull.

As of morning on April 23, only one Iran-linked bulk carrier was observed making the transit out of the Persian Gulf, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Security risks in the waterway escalated on April 22 after Iranian gunboats opened fire on commercial ships, while the U.S. blocked two of Tehran’s oil tankers.

The standoff has deepened as the U.S. military said it intercepted two Iranian oil supertankers attempting to evade a .U.S blockade outside the Persian Gulf, underscoring Washington’s push to constrain Tehran’s shipping. The action comes in the wake of April 22 hostilities, during which Iranian forces targeted at least three ships and forced two of them into Iranian territorial waters.

The Euphoria was among the vessels attacked by Iran on April 22 but appears to have completed its outbound journey and is currently anchored near the UAE’s Khor Fakkan. A small group of ships with ties to Iran also moved out over the same period, including a long-range crude tanker, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier and a bulker.

Diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with Washington awaiting Iran’s response before resuming talks. Market analysts say supply losses are now unavoidable, warning that continued disruption could permanently alter traffic patterns through the strait.

Vessels transiting Hormuz with active Automatic Identification System signals during the past day were confined to a narrow northern lane near the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm, the route approved by Tehran.

The U.S. blockade may encourage ships to switch off their tracking signals to avoid detection, making it harder to get an accurate picture of traffic through the waterway. This means transit figures may sometimes be revised higher when vessels reappear far away from the riskiest waters.