Hormuz traffic largely stays off the radar as US-Iran tensions persist

An analysis of Kpler data (Aug 1–19) shows most ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz do not publicly declare their routes: only 21 of 112 crude/LPG/LNG vessels used the Iranian route and just 2 used the Omani route, while 89+ ships traveled on dark or unknown paths. Across all cargo, 83 used the Iranian route openly, 3 used Oman’s route, and the remainder were untraceable. This indicates Iran still retains significant leverage and control capabilities, but its grip is not absolute, and US threats have not drastically reduced traffic, with ongoing shifts toward ship-to-ship transfers and alternative logistics that keep oil markets sensitive to disruptions.