Friday, Feb. 27, 12 a.m. GMT
Note: Tanker traffic paths are estimated by shortest distance between recorded transponder positions, so some may be shown to cross land boundaries between positions. Positions may also include some that are “spoofed” or faked.
Source: MarineTraffic
The animated map above, based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform, shows how tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a near standstill after the U.S. and Israel launched air attacks on Iran on Saturday, February 28.
The strait is a key artery for around a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supply, and shipping data shows hundreds of vessels remain outside Hormuz unable to reach ports.
At least 200 ships, including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers as well as cargo ships, remained at anchor in open waters off the coast of major Gulf producers including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on MarineTraffic data.
At least eight vessels have been hit in the area since the Iran conflict began.