LONDON: Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained virtually paralyzed Monday by weeks of war, with little sign of relief as Washington&#39;s deadline for US forces to blockade Iranian ports passed. The crucial waterway normally handles about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) but has been heavily disrupted since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 sparked the Middle East Ear. Here is what we know about the situation in the strait: Limited traffic Just 58 commodities carriers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since a US-Iran ceasefire took effect on Wednesday, according to maritime data provider Kpler. Crossings remain approximately 90% below peacetime levels, with no significant increase observed since the ceasefire. The overwhelming majority of ships crossing were either coming from or going to Iran, or displayed ties with countries not hostile to the country. Of the 376 passages by commodity carriers from March 1 to April 13, 244 were by oil and gas tankers, and most were heading east away from the Gulf, Kpler data showed. Vessels stuck Around 670 commodity vessels sent signals from west of the strait on Sunday, having apparently been stuck there since the end of February, according to data from maritime companies collated by Bloomberg. Of those, 329 were oil or gas tankers. Kpler said last week that 172 million barrels of crude and refined products were at sea in the Gulf as of April 7. The latest vessels to leave the Gulf on Monday were the Auroura, owned by an India-based company and carrying 38,287 tons of naptha from Iran, and the New Future, owned by a China-based firm and carrying 44,424 tons of gas oil from the UAE, according to Kpler. The Auroura is under US sanctions for transporting Iranian petroleum products. More than 50 very large crude carriers are stuck in the Gulf &ndash; including nine owned by Japanese companies and five each by companies from China, Greece and South Korea, according to Bloomberg data and other maritime companies. Just one empty LNG tanker has crossed the strait during the war. A third of the world&#39;s fertilizers usually transit the strait, and the disruption has prompted multiple warnings about the impact on food production. Iran toll Iran announced on Thursday alternative routes near the country&#39;s Larak Island to cross the strait, citing the risk of sea mines in the waterway&#39;s main zone. The country&#39;s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) also said ships could only use the strait in collaboration with the Iranian navy, according to intelligence firm Vanguard Tech. Recent transits have almost all used this Iranian-approved route, with some ships reportedly paying a toll, prompting criticism from US President Donald Trump and the European Union. The announcement of a ceasefire had sent oil prices plunging, but the failure of peace talks and the US announcement that it would blockade boats from entering or leaving Iranian ports from 1400 GMT Monday has seen them once again rise above $100. Dozens of vessels targeted No new attacks on ships have been reported since the ceasefire started. The IRGC claimed three attacks on ships between Saturday and Tuesday, and one has been confirmed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Some 29 commercial ships, including 13 tankers, have been attacked or have reported incidents in the region since March 1, according to the IMO, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre and Vanguard Tech.

An aerial view of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, collected on 16 October 2019. (NASA)

Middle East

The crucial waterway normally handles about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) but has been heavily disrupted since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 sparked the Middle East Ear.

Articles tagged with "Iran blockade"

Facts about Strait of Hormuz as US vows blockade

Facts about Strait of Hormuz as US vows blockade