Big fall in oil, gas and cargo ships taking US-backed Hormuz route after new strikes

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen steeply following a series of tit-for-tat strikes by the US and Iran after an attack on three tankers earlier this week. According to maritime intelligence firm Kpler, just 23 tankers and cargo ships crossed the critical Gulf waterway on Wednesday, down from 47 the week before. The three ships that were struck were using a US-recommended route through Omani waters, while Iran has repeatedly stated that the only "safe" route is a separate one through its waters. Before the conflict began, an average of 138 ships crossed the strait daily, through which more than a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies flow. After the US and Israel launched their first strikes on Iran in February, traffic fell to just a handful of ships per day. A deal to end the war, signed on 17 June, included steps to re-open the strait, leading to a peak of 72 ships on 24 June. However, after Iran struck two ships in Omani waters on 25 and 27 June, President Donald Trump accused Iran of a "foolish violation" of its truce, and the US military conducted strikes on Iranian targets, leading to a slump in vessels using the US-recommended route.