Reuters·September 6, 2026

Hormuz traffic dips to lowest since May after US, Iranian strikes

Traffic remains weak

Traffic remains weak

Reuters reported that an average of 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz per day over the past 10 days, the lowest since May. That is still far below prewar levels, when the route handled roughly 125 to 140 daily passages.

The data points to a market that is not yet back to normal, even though some vessels continue to move through the chokepoint. The latest dip suggests confidence is still being held back by security risks and political uncertainty.

Why it matters

Why it matters

The strait is one of the world’s most important energy and cargo corridors, so even modest drops in traffic can affect shipping costs, insurance, and oil market sentiment. Persistent disruption also makes it harder for carriers to commit to regular routing schedules.

Because the numbers are still moving lower rather than recovering steadily, there is no firm evidence yet of a return to normal traffic in the near term.

What comes next

What comes next

Reuters’ recent coverage shows activity hovering below the 10-day average across late August and early September, which points to a prolonged recovery process. A clean return to normal would likely require a sustained easing of geopolitical tension and clearer safety conditions for carriers.

On the available reporting, the most defensible answer is that traffic has not yet returned to normal and no specific month for full normalization is established.

Read at Reuters ↗Which month will Strait of Hormuz traffic return to normal?

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