Paralysis in the Strait of Hormuz. Tankers are at a standstill and transport giants, including MAERSK, are suspending their services

One of the world's largest container operators, the Danish company MAERSK, announced on Sunday that it was suspending routes through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported. Earlier, due to the US-Israeli attack on Iran, other large transport operators made similar decisions.

MAERSK announced the suspension of shipments through the strait connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea on its website. It has not been specified when it will come into force. Previously, MEARSK, as one of the few large entities in this industry, signaled that it does not rule out transports in the Near and Middle East, provided that safety must be guaranteed.

Most container operators, as well as oil companies, have suspended deliveries of crude oil, fuel and liquefied natural gas (LNG). through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel and the US launched a military operation against Iran on Saturday morning.

According to a report by a representative of the EU naval mission in the region, quoted by Reuters, the captains of the vessels currently in the waters of the Persian Gulf received a warning from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that “no ship is allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.” The agency stressed that under international maritime law, the Iranian ban has no legal force.

Reuters also cited information that their clients receive from intermediaries in the shipbuilding industry Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz 'has not been completely stopped, but disruptions are growing rapidly'. Based on the analysis of satellite images from tanker tracking systems, the agency emphasized that congestion has occurred near large ports in the Persian Gulf, and ships are not passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters recalled that approximately 20 percent of the world flows through the Strait of Hormuz. world crude oil (coming from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates), as well as large LNG cargoes (mainly from Qatar).

At least 150 tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf

At least 150 tankers, including those carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), were stranded in the Persian Gulf after Saturday's US and Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran's warnings regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing data from the MarineTraffic platform.

Additionally, several dozen ships are waiting on the other side of the strait controlled by Iran, the agency reported. She added that in the Persian Gulf, tankers gathered in open waters off the coast of major oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as LNG exporter Qatar.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) issued a statement on Saturday saying that ships in the Persian Gulf are not allowed to pass through the strait under Iran's jurisdiction. Bloomberg reported on Sunday that tanker owners have become cautious, with large numbers of ships congregating at both the entrance and exit of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Saturday, the Greek Shipping Ministry advised crews of Greek-flagged ships to remain extremely vigilant and avoid the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. The British authorities issued a similar recommendation.

German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd announced on Sunday that it had suspended all ship sailings through Hormuz until further notice due to the changing security situation in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz is considered a hotspot for oil transportation. Between one-fifth and one-third of the world's maritime transport of crude oil and a significant proportion of natural gas flows through it every day. It is the only sea route for oil from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.

According to data from the consulting company Kpler, in 2025, over 14 million barrels of oil flowed through the strait per day, about three-quarters of which went to China, India, Japan and South Korea. China, the world's second-largest economy, gets half of its imported oil from the strait.

Strait of Hormuz – a key point on the world trade map, blocked by Iran

The Strait of Hormuz is considered a hotspot for oil transportation. At its narrowest point it is only 33 km long. Due to the shoals and the need for tankers to safely pass each other, traffic is carried out in two lanes, each approximately 3 km wide, separated by a buffer strip.

Between one-fifth and one-third of the world's maritime transport of crude oil and a large proportion of natural gas flows through the strait. It is the only sea route for oil from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.

According to data from the consulting company Kpler, in 2025, over 14 million barrels of oil flowed through the strait per day, of which about three quarters went to China, India, Japan and South Korea. China, the world's second-largest economy, gets half of its oil imports through the strait.

Only a small fraction of the oil flowing through Hormuz could be diverted. Saudi Arabia has a pipeline that runs through the country from east to west to the Red Sea coast. The United Arab Emirates has a pipeline that terminates in the Gulf of Oman, bypassing Hormuz. However, according to analysts, the total daily capacity of these connections is only 16-17%. average throughput of the strait.

Iran has previously threatened to close the strait, but has never followed through on these threats. Threats to block the strait appeared, among others: in 2008, 2011 and 2018 and became an effective tool of political pressure, each time causing destabilization in global markets. Analysts estimate that an effective disruption of transit through the strait could mean an increase in the price of crude oil to over $100. per barrel.

On Saturday, after the US and Israel attacked Iran, the IRGC issued a statement in which it announced that ships in the Persian Gulf were not allowed to pass through the strait under Iran's jurisdiction. Hundreds of tankers were disabled on both sides of the strait.

On Saturday, the Greek Shipping Ministry advised crews of Greek-flagged ships to remain extremely vigilant and avoid the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. The British authorities issued a similar recommendation. The German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd announced on Sunday that it had suspended all ship sailings through Hormuz until further notice.

One of the world's largest container operators, the Danish company MAERSK, announced on Sunday that it was also suspending routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that closing the Strait of Hormuz to shipping could lead to significant imbalances in global oil and gas markets.

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