Shipping data shows Strait of Hormuz traffic at virtual standstill
Ships and tankers are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 18, 2026. (Reuters Photo)


Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was virtually at a standstill Monday, with only three crossings recorded in 12 hours, Reuters reported, citing shipping data.

The ​oil products tanker ​Nero, which ⁠is under British sanctions for Russian oil activities, left the Gulf and was sailing through the strait, according to satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax and tracking data from the Kpler platform.

Two other ships – a chemical tanker and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) ⁠tanker – ⁠sailed into the Gulf through the critical waterway separately on Monday, the data showed.

The LPG tanker, Axon I, was under separate U.S. sanctions for Iran trading activities.

A cease-fire between the United States and Iran ⁠appeared in jeopardy on Monday after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship ​that tried to run its blockade and ​Tehran vowed to retaliate, refusing for now to join new ⁠peace ‌talks.

"Recent ‌weeks have brought several false ⁠starts, and although some ‌form of resolution is likely at ​some point, the timing ⁠of any durable breakthrough ⁠remains highly uncertain," ship broker Clarksons said ⁠in a ​note Monday.