STRAIT OF HORMUZ — One tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on July 23, 2026. The number of tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz on July 23, 2026, was the lowest since May 7, 2026.

The single vessel that traversed the chokepoint on that date was the very large crude carrier New Giant, which was loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi Basrah crude. No ships entered the Strait of Hormuz on July 23, 2026, leaving the exit as the sole movement recorded for the day. The New Giant is scheduled to arrive at China's Rizhao port by mid-August 2026.

The decline in traffic occurred as the U.S. military completed a 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran on July 23, 2026. Oil prices rose to $100 per barrel as the disruption affected global transit. Three tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on July 22, 2026, marking a slight decrease from the previous day but part of a broader downward trend in volume.

According to Kpler data, the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped 60% from 37 on July 16 to 14 on July 23, 2026. Ship tracking firm Kpler reported 21 vessels transited Hormuz on July 22, 2026, down from 37 the prior week, indicating a 40% weekly decline. The U.S. military confirmed 14 ships transited Hormuz on July 23, 2026, including four crude oil tankers, per CENTCOM reports. The U.S. Energy Department confirmed 8.5 million barrels of oil transited Hormuz on July 23, 2026, despite renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities.

The UN International Maritime Organization reported that very few ships are sailing across the Strait of Hormuz following renewed attacks on vessels since hostilities resumed on July 12-13, 2026. The Strait of Hormuz transports an estimated 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies from the Gulf region during peacetime. Arsenio Dominguez is the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.

Dominguez addressed the risks facing merchant crews in the conflict zone. He said that these are innocent people who are trained to do the work, that they are not trained for combat, and the vessels are not prepared to defend themselves against missiles and drones. He added that the global supply chain relies heavily on these mariners. He said that without them, 90 per cent of goods that are transported by ships will not be able to reach their final destinations and all of us are going to be impacted.

The human cost of the standoff includes thousands of personnel unable to leave their posts. Approximately 6,000 seafarers remain stranded aboard 500 ships moored in the Persian Gulf. The UN International Maritime Organization's first priority is securing the evacuation of seafarers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz since hostilities began on February 28, 2026.

He said that they have been taken to the limit, because one thing that cannot be replaced is those essential cargoes and essential goods that either come from the regions where the conflicts are taking place or that are required for the communities in the countries that are at war.

He outlined the conditions necessary for a return to normal operations. He said that once all mariners are safe, guarantees are needed that the region is de-mined, that the strait is safe for ships to transit, and then operations can step by step resume to previous levels of around 135 vessels in transit per day. He noted that diplomatic progress has stalled due to the ongoing violence. He said that very little progress has been made in any future management of the strait, because de-escalation is needed to continue negotiations.

The IMO also clarified its stance on potential transit fees. The UN International Maritime Organization stated that charging tolls for safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz is contrary to international law. He said that there is no imposition of charges, it is not a mechanism that introduces any charges or fees, and that must be very clear.

He added that future discussions would adhere to legal frameworks. Once guarantees are in place, engagement will continue on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, all in accordance with international law.

Ten independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council condemned the resumption of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran. The human rights experts showed reports of strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including ports in the south of the country and power outages in the southern city of Chabahar.

Shipping activity in other regional chokepoints showed mixed results on July 23, 2026. Thirty-two commodity tankers crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 23, 2026, an increase from the twenty-six commodity tankers that crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 22, 2026. Fourteen tankers entered the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 23, 2026.

Eighteen tankers exited the Bab el-Mandeb strait into the Gulf of Aden on July 23, 2026. Nine of the tankers exiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 23, 2026, were carrying crude oil. Two loaded Chinese supertankers bound for China were among the tankers exiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait on July 23, 2026.

Some vessels altered their routes to avoid conflict zones. The clean tanker Torm Innovation, loaded with approximately 500,000 barrels of naphtha bound for Asia, diverted toward the Suez Canal exit instead of the Bab el-Mandeb exit. Rerouting ships via the Suez Canal to Asia instead of via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increases voyage length by nearly three times.

Saudi Aramco has started offering additional crude cargoes loading at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir. The Sidi Kerir crude cargoes serve as a workaround for loading at Saudi Aramco's Red Sea ports.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery for global energy supplies, handling an estimated 20 percent of the world's oil and gas during peacetime. The drop to one tanker crossing on July 23, 2026, represents a severe disruption to this flow, contributing to a rise in oil prices to $100 per barrel. The conflict has also trapped thousands of seafarers, showing the human stakes alongside the economic ones. The IMO's focus on evacuating these mariners and ensuring the strait is de-mined reflects the immediate safety concerns that must be resolved before commercial transit can resume at previous levels.