Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a trickle, and President Trump says he cannot say when Iran's grip on the waterway might ease. Speaking…
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a trickle, and President Trump says he cannot say when Iran's grip on the waterway might ease. Speaking at Camp David on Friday, the president acknowledged Tehran still has the ability to strike shipping even as the United States presses its campaign in the region.
Key Takeaways
- Ship tracker Kpler recorded just five transits through the strait on Thursday, down from over 100 a day before the war.
- All recorded passages used Iran's preferred northern route; none used the US preferred route nearer Oman.
- Iran's new Persian Gulf Strait Authority claimed passage was no longer feasible, a statement US officials called false.
- A Quinnipiac University poll found only 28 percent of voters approve of Trump's handling of the Iran conflict.
- Trump said strikes between the US and Iran could intensify in coming weeks.
Why Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz Has Collapsed
Before the war escalated, more than 100 vessels a day moved through the strait, carrying roughly one fifth of the world's oil supply. That flow has nearly vanished. Kpler's data shows only five transits on Thursday, and every one of those ships took the northern corridor favored by Iran rather than the route closer to Oman that the United States has encouraged shippers to use. A short ceasefire in June briefly revived traffic, but fighting resumed weeks later and volumes fell right back into the single digits.
Iran's Strait Authority Claim and the US Rebuttal
Iran's newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an entity that officials say could begin charging tolls as early as this fall, announced Friday that American military action had made passage through the strait unworkable and said it was pausing permits. US officials disputed that characterization almost immediately, insisting the waterway technically remains open to commercial vessels even though most shipping companies have chosen to avoid it altogether given the risk.
Trump on Escalation and Public Opinion
During the Cabinet meeting, Trump was pressed on whether the US could weaken Iran's capacity to threaten shipping. He gave no timeline.
