# Hormuz Practically Empty: Shipping Traffic Around 90 Percent Below Normal Levels **Category:** Operational Alerts | **Source:** Frachtportal Redaktion | **Published:** 2026-08-25 **Tags:** Strasse von Hormuz, Iran, Sanktionen, OFAC, AIS, Seefracht, Tanker, Persischer Golf, Shodow Fleet, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Digitalisierung > Only a few ships continue to transit through Hormuz. Simultaneously, the USA is intensifying its Iran sanctions and thereby increasing due diligence requirements for the entire transport chain. --- The Strait of Hormuz remains a very difficult passage for commercial shipping. On Sunday, only four transits were initially registered, compared to 13 on Saturday. For comparison: Friday also saw only 16 transits. In the week through August 21, the UKMTO recorded 89 outbound and 103 inbound vessels via AIS. The authority describes the recorded traffic as approximately 90 percent lower than before the conflict. However, these figures are not entirely accurate. Some vessels deliberately disable their AIS. Additionally, there are satellite navigation disruptions in the Gulf. Therefore, there could well have been more movements than are visible on the usual tracking systems. The security risk also remains high. Since July 6, the UKMTO has reported a total of 23 incidents involving projectile impacts and damage to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and its surroundings. Since Monday, an additional problem has emerged: The USA has significantly tightened its Iran sanctions. OFAC, the sanctions authority of the US Treasury Department, has newly listed nearly 60 individuals, companies, and vessels. At the same time, foreign companies can now more easily be sanctioned if they support certain business activities in Iran's shipping, aviation, technology, gold, or digital sectors. This is important for logistics. OFAC explicitly warns against payments or services related to transit through Hormuz. Even accepting certain Iranian insurance or passage services can trigger sanction risks. --- For us, checking Gulf shipments is no longer sufficient to simply verify whether the vessel is operating. For critical shipments, the vessel and IMO number, shipping line, owner, operator, charterer, consignee, banks and, if possible, involved service providers should be checked. I would be particularly cautious with short-notice vessel changes, ship-to-ship transshipments, and unusual payment methods. OFAC now explicitly recommends enhanced screening of vessels transiting through Hormuz. Service providers should clarify, among other things, who coordinated the passage and whether fees, insurance, or other services were paid to or received from Iranian entities. Operationally, the risk of delays, rerouting, higher insurance premiums, and short-notice cancellations remains in place. In short: Hormuz remains far from normal operations – and alongside the security risk, the sanctions risk is now becoming significantly greater. --- On Sunday, four transits through Hormuz were initially recorded. On Saturday, there were 13 transits. In the week through August 21, 89 outbound passages and 103 inbound passages were tracked via AIS. UKMTO estimates AIS-tracked traffic at approximately 90 percent below pre-conflict levels. AIS data cannot fully capture vessels with disabled or disrupted transponders. Since July 6, UKMTO has reported 23 incidents involving projectile strikes and vessel damage. The U.S. Department of the Treasury launched "Operation Economic Outcast" on August 24. OFAC sanctioned nearly 60 individuals, companies, and vessels. Sanctions risk was newly expanded for shipping, aviation, gold, technology, and digital assets, among others. Swiss-based Wellbred Trading SA was also newly sanctioned by OFAC. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [United Arab Emirates](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ae) - [Saudi Arabia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/sa) - [Iraq](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/iq) - [Iran](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ir) - [Bahrain](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/bh) - [Qatar](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/qa) - [Kuwait](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/kw) - [Oman](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/om) ### Seaports - [Mina Jabal Ali (AE JEA)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/mina-jabal-ali-port-ae-jea) - [Khalifa Bin Salman (BH KBS)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/khalifa-bin-salman-port-bh-kbs) - [Hamad Port](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/hamad-port-3698) - [Ras Tannurah (SA RTA)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/ras-tannurah-port-sa-rta) - [Jabal Az Zannah/ruways (AE JED)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/jabal-az-zannahruways-port-ae-jed) - [Ras Laffan (QA RLF)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/ras-laffan-port-qa-rlf) - [Umm Qasr (IQ UQR)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/umm-qasr-port-iq-uqr) - [Dammam (SA DMM)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/dammam-port-sa-dmm) - [Mina Al Ahmadi (KW MEA)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/mina-al-ahmadi-port-kw-mea) ### Glossary - [Export](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/export-2) - [Lighter](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/lighter) - [transport chain](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/transport-chain) - [Goods](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/goods) - [sanctions monitoring](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sanctions-monitoring) - [sanctions list](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sanctions-list) - [sanctions decision](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sanctions-decision) - [UNSC Sanctions](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/unsc-sanctions) - [Sanctions KPI](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sanctions-kpi) - [sanctions hit rate](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sanctions-hit-rate) - [export control decision logic](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/export-control-decision-logic-2) - [Export control end-to-end process](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/export-control-end-to-end-process) - [Export Control Determination](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/export-control-determination) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/hormuz-praktisch-leer-schiffsverkehr-rund-90-prozent-unter-normalniveau-20260825100149](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/hormuz-praktisch-leer-schiffsverkehr-rund-90-prozent-unter-normalniveau-20260825100149)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/hormuz-praktisch-leer-schiffsverkehr-rund-90-prozent-unter-normalniveau-20260825100149](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/hormuz-praktisch-leer-schiffsverkehr-rund-90-prozent-unter-normalniveau-20260825100149)*