Shipping data firm: Hormuz increasingly unstable

Shipping data analytics company Kpler said on Wednesday that risks in the Strait of Hormuz deepened despite a slight increase in vessel traffic, with 21 confirmed transits recorded on July 14, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the firm's X post, commercial vessels carrying crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), methanol and iron ore made up most of the traffic. Meanwhile, three more attacks were confirmed off the coast of Oman, raising the total number of reported incidents to 56, with 17 seafarers killed.

The lack of traffic along Omani routes highlighted a "growing loss of confidence in that corridor," while vessels continued to favor Iranian-approved routes. "The Strait remains passable, but the operating environment is becoming increasingly complex and unstable," Kpler concluded. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that a 20% cargo transit toll will be replaced with trade and investment agreements between the Gulf states and Washington.