On Friday, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz nearly stalled after two more vessels were attacked, as the U.S. signaled it would tighten economic pressure on Iran further.
Strait of Hormuz Traffic Plunges as Iran Talks Stall
The decrease in traffic follows a senior Iranian source who on Wednesday said that there had been no progress in talks to build on a June agreement to end the war, Reuters reported on Friday.
According to ship tracking firm Kpler, only nine vessels passed through the strait Thursday, up from five Wednesday but well below August’s 12-ship average. More than 130 ships crossed daily before the U.S.-Israel war on Iran began in February.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said two of its vessels were attacked Thursday; the UAE government blamed Iran, which did not comment.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the Navy can sustain its blockade of Iran long-term by rotating ships in and out.
Treasury Signals Unprecedented New Sanctions
On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. plans fresh measures “next week,” calling them unmatched in the history of economic isolation, in an interview on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight.”
Talks to revive June’s ceasefire have stalled. Earlier this week, Iran’s new security chief, Mohsen Razaei, said in a post on X that the strait will reopen only once the U.S. ends the war and blockade, releases frozen assets and agrees to a region-wide ceasefire.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also hit back, accusing Washington on Thursday of repeated intelligence failures and warning of an even bigger miscalculation over the strait.
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