Strait of Hormuz Transits Plunge to Single Digits as Iran Blocks 30 Vessels

Daily vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted from over 100 to single digits following a rapid military enforcement campaign by Iranian forces. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy physically blocked 30 vessels starting August 22 and blacklisted another 45 tankers for alleged transit violations. Iranian authorities issued an explicit directive on August 28 requiring all vessels to secure prior permission, stick to approved corridors, and pay transit fees before navigating the waterway. The rapid escalation stems from the July 8 collapse of a US-Iran maritime transit memorandum that was originally signed in June 2026. US Central Command responded with dozens of targeted interdictions against Iranian-linked shipping, prompting remaining commercial vessels to disable their automatic identification systems to avoid detection.