The number of ships per day passing through the Straits of Hormuz remains at single digits

ACCORDING TO STUDIES BY THE UK MARITIME TRADE ACTION SERVICE (UKMTO), COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC IN THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ CONTINUES TO BE SEVERELY CURTAILED AS A RESULT OF IRAN ' S CONTINUING MILITARY ACTIVITIES AND MARITIME SECURITY RISKS, WITH THE DAILY NUMBER OF SHIPS HOVERING IN SINGLE DIGITS. DESPITE CONTINUED HARASSMENT BY THE IRANIAN ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS, INCLUDING DRONE OVERFLIGHTS, VHF RADIO CALLS AND THE INSTALLATION OF MINE-RISK AREAS, UKMTO INDICATED THAT 103 VESSELS HAD ENTERED THE STRATEGIC WATERWAY AND 89 HAD LEFT DURING THE PAST WEEK. HOWEVER, THIS TOTAL REPRESENTS ONLY ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF THE AVERAGE TRAFFIC OVER THE SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE WAR. THE REPORT FOUND THAT TANKER TRANSPORT REMAINED THE MAIN MODE OF TRANSPORT IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, ACCOUNTING FOR 45 PER CENT OF TOTAL TRAFFIC. THE SOUTHERN ROUTE OF OMAN REMAINS THE HIGHEST-RISK ROUTE, WITH 16 OF THE 18 SHELLING INCIDENTS REPORTED BY UKMTO SINCE 6 JULY. KIM XIAN