Strait of Hormuz Shipping Traffic Halves After US-Iran Clashes; Iran Hits Two Tankers

The Straits Times—Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — the choke point carrying roughly a fifth of the world's oil — fell by roughly half in the days following the outbreak of US-Iran military exchanges, as operators rerouted ships to avoid the dangerous corridor. Iran separately struck two tankers in the strait as the conflict escalated. The disruption poses a direct threat to global energy supply chains at a moment when oil markets were already under stress. Niall Ferguson argued in an essay that Iran's ability to threaten the Strait may represent a long-term strategic advantage for Tehran regardless of battlefield outcomes.

• The Straits Times — Oil tanker operators are diverting away from the Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran clashes
• Channel News Asia — Shipping through the strait declines sharply as operators avoid the conflict zone
• The Independent (UK) — Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz halves in a blow to the global economy
• The Free Press — Niall Ferguson asks whether Iran can hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage indefinitely
• South China Morning Post — Tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz plunges as the US-Iran ceasefire fractures
• Semafor — Iran strikes two tankers inside the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating conflict
• Reuters — Traffic slows through Strait of Hormuz as Iran tensions flare