Iran Says It Stopped 4 Tankers in Hormuz in 24 Hours as Transit Slows
Key Facts
Iran’s state broadcaster said 4 tankers were stopped in the Strait of Hormuz in the 24 hours before November 9, according to the Don newspaper. The broadcaster described the tankers as “stopped and brought to a standstill,” though the report did not confirm that the vessels or their navigation systems had been disabled. Iran’s account gives a tally of announced stoppages, while ship-tracking data reflect actual transit activity in the surrounding days. Data from Kpler showed 5 cargo vessels transiting the strait on Saturday, November 7, and no crossings recorded on Sunday, November 8. The figures came as shipping through the waterway slowed amid attacks on tankers and stalled U.S.-Iranian talks.
A total of 31 cargo vessels crossed the strait over the previous weekend, according to a Kpler comparison cited by Reuters. Saturday and Sunday saw 5 crossings, compared with 31 on October 31 and November 1. The latest weekend’s recorded traffic was therefore far below the previous period, as Iran’s account of stoppages diverged from the transit indicators tracked by ship data. The figures alone do not identify why each vessel stopped or where it was headed, but they show slower navigation over those days. The United Arab Emirates said 3 vessels operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked while transiting during the week of November 2 to 8.
The slowdown coincided with other reported incidents in the region. The Iranian military said two tankers hit mines and caught fire on Saturday, November 7, the Associated Press reported, without identifying the vessels’ flags or destinations. The agency also reported that October saw the highest number of attacks on commercial ships in the strait since March. The incidents place recent shipping activity in a period marked by repeated attacks on commercial vessels, while details and the parties affected vary from one incident to another. Reuters linked the weekend slowdown in transit to attacks on tankers, as talks aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict stalled.
The decline in vessel traffic matters because of the strait’s role in energy transport. Before the war broke out in February 2026, more than 130 vessels crossed it each day, and it carried one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, according to Reuters. The comparison shows the gap between prewar daily traffic and the limited crossings recorded over the latest weekend, but does not provide a current daily figure that can be directly compared. Slower shipping affects a route used for energy exports from the region, as transiting vessels face attacks or stoppages, according to published reports. Recorded crossings remain an indicator of vessel movements, while the prewar context illustrates the strait’s role in global energy trade.
On the political and military front, the United States said it could continue its naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. Reuters reported that U.S.-Iranian talks aimed at ending the Middle East conflict stalled as shipping slowed over the weekend. In a separate incident, U.S. Central Command said it disabled a commercial vessel flying the flag of St. Kitts after it ignored warnings and tried to leave the area following a visit to an Iranian port, according to the Associated Press. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. forces had carried out new, limited strikes targeting an air defense system in Iran. The agency noted that Trump had said for weeks he was considering another wave of strikes after the U.S. midterm elections held on November 3, while developments in the blockade and talks remain tied to shipping through the strait.