Traffic through Strait of Hormuz continues to decline, Kpler data shows

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Six vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from nine the previous day and below the ten-day average of eleven, according to Kpler tracking data cited by Reuters. Vessels heading toward the strait included an empty very large crude carrier sailing under the Omani flag and two medium-capacity oil tankers, while outbound traffic consisted of two medium fuel tankers and one post-Panamax vessel. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington was not in talks with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting earlier Iranian statements that maritime traffic through the waterway was shut. Before the conflict, the strait carried roughly one-fifth of global seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Tanker tracking firm Fortexa and the broker said China's two largest state-owned companies had decided to keep their tankers away from the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab since late July due to security concerns. The two firms had previously transported about half of China's Middle East oil imports before the war. No further details on transit volumes or shipping schedules were immediately available.