Hormuz tanker traffic rebounds to 55 ships after wartime low

Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rebounded to 55 commodity vessels in the week ending May 17, surging from a wartime low of 19 the previous week, according to maritime tracking firm Kpler data cited by The Korea Times. Iran said it was permitting more ships to transit the strategic waterway while announcing a new oversight body to levy charges on passing vessels.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG shipments in peacetime. The rebound signals Iran selectively easing restrictions while using new transit fees and a regulatory body to maintain strategic leverage over the chokepoint amid stalled negotiations with the United States.

The 55-vessel figure matches the wartime weekly average recorded by Kpler since the conflict's start March 1, 2026 — one day after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 triggered widespread maritime disruptions. Kpler data shows a total of 663 commodity vessels have transited the strait since the war began.

Iranian state television said Friday the Revolutionary Guards were allowing more ships to pass through the waterway, after reporting a day earlier that "more than 30 ships" had been permitted to transit. Iran also announced Monday the creation of a new body to oversee the strait and collect transit fees, with officials stating the practice had been in effect since the early days of the conflict, according to The Korea Times.

Roughly half the tankers crossing in the May 11-17 period carried liquid cargoes, including three very large crude carriers and 16 LPG tankers, Kpler data showed. Only one LNG tanker crossed last week; just eight LNG tankers have transited since hostilities began.

Vessel traffic linked to China dropped sharply, with only three China-linked commodity ships crossing last week, according to Kpler. Iran has warned that countries adhering to U.S. sanctions would face crossing difficulties. Two Hong Kong-flagged vessels also transited, bound for Oman and the UAE.

Iran has made clear it does not intend to fully restore prewar access to the passage. Officials have repeatedly warned that traffic through the strait would "not return to its pre-war status," signaling Tehran plans to maintain selective control over one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.

Iran has repeatedly warned that traffic through the strait will "not return to its pre-war status," indicating Tehran intends to preserve selective control over the waterway as ceasefire negotiations with the United States remain unresolved.