Maritime traffic has plummeted in the Strait of Hormuz following Iran's latest announcement of closure.

Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply on Sunday after Iran announced the closure of this strategic waterway, citing alleged violations of the interim peace agreement by Israel and the United States. This decision immediately reignited concerns in global energy markets and the shipping industry.

According to data from the analytics firm Kpler, only five ships crossed the strait on Sunday, compared to 26 the previous day. Among them were three very large oil tankers, each carrying approximately two million barrels of Saudi crude oil and fuel oil. One of these ships was bound for Japan.

However, the figures may underestimate the actual traffic. Some ships operating in the Gulf choose to deactivate their transponders for security reasons, making them more difficult to track in a region marked by strong geopolitical tensions.

The previous week, Iran had agreed to lift the de facto blockade of the Strait after reaching an agreement with the United States to extend the ceasefire established in April by sixty days. This extension was intended to allow peace negotiations between the two countries to continue.

But on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a new closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claims to be acting in retaliation for Israeli strikes in Lebanon, arguing that the ceasefire terms have not been respected. For its part, the US military maintains that commercial shipping continues to operate normally in the area.

Navigation data shows that several oil tankers did leave the strait on Saturday, including ships carrying crude oil from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq. Thirteen ships also entered the strategic passage that same day, including two very large tankers.

Faced with this uncertain situation, major Gulf producers are adapting. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation have launched new tenders allowing oil shipments both inside and outside the Strait of Hormuz. This measure aims to limit potential disruptions to hydrocarbon exports while the future of one of the world's most important shipping routes remains uncertain.