Strait of Hormuz traffic at third of pre-war level

Daily crossings through the Strait of Hormuz were around a third of pre-war levels in early July, with ships using alternative Iranian and Omani routes as mines and attacks continued to disrupt the waterway between Iran and Oman.

Maritime tracking firm Kpler said data up to July 1 showed about 32 percent of ships crossing the strait used a designated corridor in Iranian waters near Larak Island. About 23 percent used a temporary southern route coordinated by Oman, the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization.

Kpler analyst Ana Subasic described the Omani route as a very narrow passage constrained by the Omani coast and mine-risk areas. Guidance is also provided by the Joint Maritime Information Centre and NATO's Naval Cooperation Guidance for Shipping.

Kpler said about 46 percent of vessels had crossed the strait with their transponders turned off since the start of the Middle East war in late February, making their routes difficult to track. Analysts told AFP that ships recently crossing with transponders off tended to favour the Omani route.

Before the war, vessels used the Traffic Separation Scheme, a two-way route through the centre of the strait adopted by the IMO in 1968. Those lanes averaged 120 daily transits in peacetime but were not being used because of the risk of sea mines.

Ships using the Iranian route must apply to Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority for a single-passage permit valid for up to five days. Subasic said ships using the Omani route are expected to coordinate with the relevant coastal state, keep transponders on and carry out their own risk assessment.