US-Iran strikes halt most traffic in Strait of Hormuz

Traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz has collapsed to a near standstill following a rapid escalation of military strikes between the United States and Iran, severely disrupting global energy supplies and threatening a fragile diplomatic truce. The renewed hostilities began on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, after attacks on three commercial tankers transiting the strategic waterway.

The United States responded to the tanker attacks by reimposing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and launching military strikes against Iranian targets. The Treasury Department revoked a sanctions waiver that had been issued in mid-June as part of a ceasefire memorandum of understanding. A U.S. official stated the attacks violated the terms of that agreement. Concurrently, U.S. forces carried out strikes described as intended to impose costs for targeting commercial shipping. Iran retaliated with strikes on targets in Bahrain and Kuwait.

The immediate commercial impact was a steep drop in vessel traffic. Maritime intelligence data shows transits through the strait fell sharply, with only about 16 vessels crossing on Tuesday and roughly 22 on Wednesday, a fraction of the pre-conflict daily average of...