Few ships dare to pass through the Strait of Hormuz now

The Strait of Hormuz used to buzz with over 125 ships every day. Today, just ten make the trip. Traffic dropped sharply after February’s conflict shut down the route. Hundreds of ships sit waiting in the Gulf with 20, 000 crew stuck on board. Most are dry bulk carriers or container ships bringing goods in, not oil tankers heading out. One small container ship flying the Chinese flag, the Zhong Gu Nan Chang, did slip through in the last day. It’s a rare sign of movement in a waterway that powers global oil supply. Still, crude oil tankers barely show up anymore. Most vessels now are chemical or gas tankers, playing it safe while tensions stay high.A fragile truce holds, but no real progress has been made. Iran still controls the strait’s choke point while the U. S. keeps its ports under lock. Peace talks led by Pakistan haven’t broken the deadlock. Experts admit the market feels stuck. One shipping broker put it bluntly: “We’ve been let down before. ” Everyone wants the strait open again, but for now, ships wait and risks stay real.