Hormuz traffic halts as tensions rise: Bloomberg

• Commercial transits through the Strait of Hormuz completely halted on Sunday following a brief, chaotic surge in traffic.
• Tehran re-shut the vital waterway after the US refused to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
• The ongoing standoff traps millions of barrels of oil and LNG, threatening to exacerbate the global energy crunch.

Observed commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a complete halt following a brief surge on Saturday. The renewed standstill comes as regional tensions escalate further, with vessels coming under gunfire and Iran issuing fresh warnings against waterway crossings.

According to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, no crossings were observed by early Sunday afternoon in London. The paralysis follows a dramatic Saturday where at least 13 oil tankers abandoned their attempts to leave the Persian Gulf, executing U-turns to head back to safety.

Screengrab from the Bloomberg report

A brief opening and a swift closure

The initial rush of vessels attempting to exit the Gulf began after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday that the strait was open.

However, Tehran swiftly reversed course and shut the waterway again following Washington's refusal to lift its own naval blockade on Iranian vessels.

This geopolitical deadlock is currently trapping millions of barrels of oil and vast quantities of liquefied natural gas (LNG) inside the Persian Gulf, threatening to severely prolong an energy crisis that has already roiled the global economy.

During the short window before the renewed closure, 18 commercial ships managed to complete outbound transits early Saturday.

This included four tankers, one of which was carrying two million barrels of Saudi and Qatari crude. Additionally, 10 ships made the inbound crossing into the Gulf.

Read more: Strait of Hormuz traffic grinds to a halt as waterway closes again

Navigating the US blockade

Data reveals that nearly half of the ships that managed to exit had links to Iran, with eight explicitly sanctioned by the United States.

Despite making it out of the strait, none of these sanctioned vessels appear to have successfully broken through the US naval blockade stationed further out in the open waters of the Gulf of Oman.

Three vessels anchored off Khor Fakkan in the UAE, while two reached the Omani coast before one turned back. Another LPG tanker, the Raine, briefly appeared poised to run the blockade before retreating toward Hormuz.

In a separate maneuver, four empty European-linked cruise ships made a high-speed dash to exit the Persian Gulf on Saturday, steaming quickly to arrive the Omani coastline to avoid the riskiest waters.

Read more: Iran reinstates restrictions on Strait of Hormuz amid escalating US tensions

Tracking challenges and 'dark' fleets

The dual blockades are heavily complicating maritime tracking efforts. Analysts note that the current threat level may encourage ships to switch off their automated tracking signals to avoid detection, a tactic that makes it difficult to ascertain exactly what is moving through the region.

Signal spoofing -where electronic interference deliberately falsifies a ship's apparent position- is also a growing concern. Furthermore, Iran-linked oil tankers frequently operate as "dark fleets," sailing from the Persian Gulf without broadcasting their locations until they reach the Strait of Malacca, roughly 10 days after passing the UAE.

Consequently, transit figures may be revised higher in the coming days as vessels eventually reappear on tracking screens in safer waters.