Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks during a briefing on the Iran war, with a map in the background showing a blockade line on the Strait of Hormuz, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 16, 2026.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill Thursday, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain high.
Just two vessels were observed transiting the sea lane, according to data from LSEG. The tanker Race exited the strait into the Gulf of Oman bound for India, the data showed. The cargo ship Neshat crossed the strait and appeared destined for Iran.
The U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports began Monday. As it enters its fourth day, the Navy has forced 14 vessels to reverse course so far, according to U.S. Central Command. Iran, meanwhile, has threatened to shut down traffic in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea in retaliation.
At least two very large crude carriers, the RHN and the Alicia, crossed the strait into the Persian Gulf earlier this week. VLCCs are huge tankers that can carry about 2 million barrels of oil.
Tanker traffic through the strait has plunged during the war, triggering the largest oil supply disruption in history. About 20% of global oil supplies passed through the sea lane before the war.
