Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, Aug 12: Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a one-week low on Tuesday as vessel owners avoided the key waterway amid continued hostilities in the Middle East and growing uncertainty over the Iran war.

Kpler data showed that only eight vessels were tracked in the strait on Tuesday, below the 10-day average of around 12 and the lowest daily count since August 5. Only one vessel, a coal carrier, exited the waterway, while the remaining seven were still making their way through.

All seven vessels entering the strait took the Iranian route.

Separate data from LSEG showed 11 transits on Tuesday, down from 14 a day earlier.

Before the waterway was closed following the US-Israeli attacks that began on February 28, around 130 to 140 vessels typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day.

The decline in shipping came as the United States and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks, while prospects for an end to the Iran war appeared to weaken. Tehran has said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless Washington accepts its conditions for ending the conflict.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces in the Gulf of Oman had disabled the steering capability of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel sailing towards Iran.

According to CENTCOM, the vessel had violated the US blockade against Iran. A US Navy helicopter fired two missiles at the ship, after which it stopped sailing towards Iran. CENTCOM said US forces would continue enforcing the blockade.

In a separate alert, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident involving a container ship in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel came under attack, prompting its crew to issue an emergency call for assistance and prepare to abandon ship.

A message broadcast over a public maritime radio channel said 17 people were aboard the vessel and placed the incident near the eastern edge of the Gulf of Oman.

UKMTO also reported another incident the same day involving a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea. The vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile, resulting in casualties.

Despite the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea remained comparatively higher. Kpler data showed that 30 vessels crossed the waterway on Tuesday, above the 10-day average of 25.