Hormuz traffic reduced to a trickle of dark transits as Iran threatens pipeline oil flows
- Non-Iranian shipping has virtually disappeared from the Strait of Hormuz, with most vessels operating dark as renewed US-Iran hostilities choke commercial transit
- Tehran says the strait will remain closed and has warned it could target gulf oil export pipelines, raising fears of disruption beyond maritime trade
- The crisis is intensifying efforts to develop export routes that bypass Hormuz, including US-backed plans to revive the Iraq-Syria Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline
Shipowners are retreating into dark transits as renewed US-Iran hostilities choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears that Tehran could expand its campaign beyond shipping to target the gulf’s critical oil export infrastructure.