Hormuz ship crossings jump 44%: marine traffic tracker

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rose sharply on Thursday, with 13 confirmed vessel crossings — a 44% increase from the previous day — according to data from marine tracking firm MarineTraffic.

Volumes stayed far below normal amid ongoing conflict and competing claims over the waterway.

Seven vessels entered the Arabian Gulf and six exited, MarineTraffic said in a post Friday.

Nine used the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, none were confirmed through the standard Hormuz Traffic Separation Scheme, and four routes were undetermined. 

The traffic included two sanctioned vessels, three “shadow” vessels and eight others, Marine Traffic showed.

At the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, 29 confirmed crossings were recorded, up 4% from 28 the day before.

Eighteen vessels entered the Red Sea and 11 exited, with two dark (AIS-off) transits noted. 

Four sanctioned and two shadow vessels were among them. No new confirmed vessel attacks were recorded that day.

Uptick

The uptick comes against a backdrop of sharply reduced traffic since a US-Israeli campaign against Iran began on February 28, 2026. 

Prewar daily crossings through Hormuz typically numbered around 100 to 140 vessels, carrying roughly a fifth of the world’s oil. 

Recent daily totals have hovered in the single digits to low teens, according to multiple tracking firms including Kpler and MarineTraffic.

Reuters reported Friday that Hormuz traffic had been capped below the August daily average of about 12 commodity vessels amid volatile sentiment and competing US and Iranian claims of control.

Kpler data showed nine transits on Thursday (up from five the prior day), mostly via the Iranian route.

The UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said two of its vessels were attacked while transiting that evening; the UAE blamed Iran.

Iran has asserted management of the strait and has rejected claims that it is fully open, while the United States has maintained pressure including a naval blockade. 

Separate reports noted additional attacks and warnings of stepped-up economic measures. 

Traffic through Bab Al-Mandab has also been constrained by Houthi-related risks in the Red Sea, though volumes there have been more stable in recent days.

MarineTraffic and similar trackers note that some vessels sail with AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders off, so confirmed counts may understate total movements.

The data reflects continued reliance on Iranian-preferred routes and the presence of higher-risk vessels even as overall commercial flows remain suppressed.