No ships cross Strait of Hormuz for first time since conflict began, data shows | South China Morning Post

VirtualRichDream · 2026-03-16T09:42:23+00:00

The Strait of Hormuz experienced its first full day without commercial traffic since the onset of the Middle East conflict, reflecting a shift in global shipping routes and a hold on vessel movements in the area.

VirtualRichDream

2026-03-16 09:42:23

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Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day since the Middle East conflict began without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction.

Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it said.

“The concentration suggests that many vessels are holding position outside the Strait of Hormuz, rather than dispersing globally, potentially reflecting expectations that the corridor may reopen,” the company said.

Several ships linked to Pakistan and Turkey were confirmed to have passed through the corridor on Friday under apparent authorisation or special circumstances, Windward said.

Global shipping routes are shifting amid the turmoil in the Middle East. Traffic around the Cape of Good Hope increased, flows through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa remained stable, and transits through the Suez Canal dropped sharply, the firm said.

The Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree is engulfed in black smoke in the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, 2026. Photo: Reuters

“Taken together, the current maritime picture is defined by visible paralysis inside the Strait of Hormuz, conditional exceptions for selected vessels, continued global rerouting and widening disruption across energy infrastructure, logistics and maritime policy frameworks,” Windward said.

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