Commercial vessels reduce transits through the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East

Commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell on Tuesday amid the intensifying conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran and the widening confrontations in the Middle East, Reuters reports. Only six commercial vessels crossed the strategic route, compared with nine the previous day and an average of approximately 12 vessels per day over the past 10 days.

The preliminary data were provided by the Kpler platform and may be revised, as some vessels turn off their transponders during voyages. Five of the monitored vessels were heading toward the Gulf area, while one was leaving the region. They included a Panamax vessel and a medium-sized oil tanker.

A decline in traffic was also reported through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On Tuesday, 25 commercial vessels crossed the area, below the average of approximately 27 vessels per day over the past 10 days. The monitored vessels included Suezmax and Aframax tankers and a VLCC carrier.

The reduction in traffic comes after a new military escalation in the region. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked cities in Saudi Arabia, U.S. forces struck Iranian oil tankers, and Iran attacked a U.S. base in Jordan.

Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb are essential routes for the global transportation of energy and goods, and the development indicates increased caution on the part of maritime operators.