Strait of Hormuz Oman shipping lane sees sharp decline in vessels, Iran continues to strengthen waterway control.

Shenchao TechFlow news, July 5, according to institutional reports, the number of ships sailing along the Omani coastal route through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday decreased significantly. The day before, multiple ships sailing along this route suddenly made sharp turns, highlighting Iran's continued tightening of control over this strategic waterway. An oil product tanker that turned back on Saturday appeared to attempt passage again, and has now sailed past the northernmost point of Oman's Musandam Peninsula. Earlier, another product tanker also passed along the same route and publicly announced its navigation intention, and has now broadcast its position in the Gulf of Oman.

Some ships chose to cross the strait by "sailing dark." A Suezmax crude oil tanker, after last broadcasting its position in the Persian Gulf on Saturday, appeared in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday. During Friday and Saturday, at least eight ships suddenly turned back while sailing along the Omani route through the Strait of Hormuz. Four of them then changed course northward and left the strait via the Iranian side. There is no official explanation for these sudden turns. However, Iran has repeatedly stated that ships can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz via designated and authorized routes. According to Kpler data, a total of 19 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on Saturday, but only one ship publicly announced it would enter the strait via the Omani coastal route, while the number of ships using that route on Friday was 13. The above statistics cover only observable navigation activities. (Jin Shi)