Vessel Traffic Falls Sharply on Oman Coastal Route Through Strait of Hormuz

The number of vessels sailing on the Oman coastal route through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Sunday, according to an institutional report. According to Jin10, several ships that had been leaving the strait along the route made sudden U-turns a day earlier, highlighting that Iran has continued to strengthen its control over the strategic waterway. One refined-products tanker that turned back on Saturday appeared to be attempting the passage again and had sailed past the northernmost tip of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. Earlier, another refined-products tanker traveled the same route and publicly signaled its sailing intentions, and it was broadcasting its position in the Gulf of Oman. Some vessels chose to cross the strait with their tracking signals turned off. A Suezmax crude oil tanker that last broadcast its position in the Persian Gulf on Saturday appeared in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday. From Friday to Saturday, at least eight vessels made sudden U-turns while transiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Oman route. Four of them later changed course northward and instead exited the strait via a route on Iran’s side. There has been no official explanation for the sudden U-turns. Iran has previously said multiple times that vessels can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz via routes designated and authorized by Iran. Kpler data showed that 19 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on Saturday, but only one vessel publicly indicated it would enter the strait via the Oman coastal route. The number of vessels using that route on Friday was 13. The statistics cover only observable sailing activity.