Strait of Hormuz traffic plummets amid fears of new Iranian attacks

About 1,000 vessels carrying roughly 20,000 crew members are unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid fears of Iranian attacks, cutting traffic by nearly 90%.

The International Maritime Organization says many of the ships are idling near the narrow waterway, while 2,474 vessels, including 178 oil tankers, have remained in the Gulf waters since March 5.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez expressed “grave concern” after recent attacks killed at least seven seafarers and called on operators to exercise “maximum caution.”

Roughly 20% of the world’s oil is transported through the Strait of Hormuz.