Iran's armed forces have blocked 30 vessels from the Strait of Hormuz since August 22, and daily transits through the waterway have collapsed from over 100 ships to single digits. A second report puts pre-crisis crossings at around 130 a day, now down to fewer than 20, at a chokepoint that carries roughly 20% of the world's oil and LNG shipments.
Iran's armed forces have blocked 30 vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz since August 22, tightening its grip on the world's most important oil chokepoint. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has also blacklisted 45 tankers since August 24 for alleged non-compliance with Iranian transit rules.
Vessels that once sailed through relatively freely must now coordinate entry with Iranian authorities, pay transit fees, and stick to approved shipping corridors.
Daily traffic falls apart
More than 100 vessels transited the strait daily before the standoff; that figure has collapsed to single digits. A separate account puts pre-crisis daily crossings closer to 130 ships, dropping to fewer than 20 during peak-tension periods. That is an 85% collapse in throughput. The strait normally carries roughly 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
From diplomacy to confrontation
On August 28 and 29, IRGC officials said no vessel could transit without prior Iranian permission, putting Tehran in direct conflict with the US position that the waterway must stay open under maritime law. The standoff traces back to a US-Iran memorandum of understanding from June 2026 that collapsed on July 8.
After the deal fell apart, Iran's enforcement shifted from periodic inspections to systematic control, and US Central Command began its own interdiction operations against Iranian-linked shipping. Some vessels have started switching off their Automatic Identification System transponders to avoid detection.
No easy workaround
The strait is only about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, and pipelines built by Saudi Arabia and the UAE handle only a fraction of the crude oil volume that moves by sea. Iran's own exports have suffered too: the country reported zero crude oil exports during active periods of a US-led blockade in August.
Insurance premiums for Gulf transits have historically spiked during periods of elevated tension, and the current standoff gives underwriters reason to reprice that risk again. In late July, the IRGC stopped four vessels using warning shots, a sign enforcement has moved from paperwork to force.
Sources: Crypto Briefing, Crypto Briefing
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