UN: Traffic in Strait of Hormuz Increases, But Not Yet Normal

Istanbul (ANTARA) - The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the maritime intelligence company Windward have noted that more ships are beginning to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but traffic in these strategic waters remains far below normal conditions before the war between the US-Israel and Iran.

On Thursday (2/4), Windward stated that 16 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on 1 April, up from 11 ships the previous day. The number of ships crossing the strait has increased for three consecutive days.

The company noted that all 16 ships used the route via Larak Island, described as a permit-based corridor close to the Iranian coastline.

“Western-sanctioned ships accounted for 62 percent of the transits on 1 April, as Iran’s shadow tanker fleet entered in preparation for further loading,” it stated.

This pattern indicates that more countries are negotiating with Iran to secure routes for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, increasing the likelihood that transit volumes could rise further in the coming days, according to Windward.

Although increasing, traffic through the strait is still far below normal levels. UNCTAD stated that ship transits through Hormuz fell from around 130 ships per day in February to just 6 ships in March.

The approximately 95 percent drop in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz underscores the real disruptions since the conflict began with the joint US and Israel attack on Iran on 28 February 2026.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, traversed by about a quarter of global seaborne oil trade as well as significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertiliser.

Around 20 million barrels of oil formerly passed through the strait each day, before Iran imposed a blockade and took control of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israel attack.

Source: Anadolu