Shipping activity across the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has increased in recent days, even as hostilities persist in the Middle East. The United States claims its navy has escorted some tankers through the waterway.

According to vessel tracking data, the Al Areesh, loaded with liquefied natural gas from Qatar, sailed openly out of the Persian Gulf early Thursday, marking the country's first shipment in three weeks. Meanwhile, the LPG carrier CYH Yongchun appeared to pass through the strait with its transponder turned off. Data from market intelligence firm Kpler shows that 14 commodity-carrying vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on Wednesday, up from single-digit numbers in the previous week. These figures may still be revised as new information emerges.

Shipowners and traders are closely monitoring maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea for signs of how vessels are navigating the evolving security landscape. Shipping volumes along these waterways have fluctuated in response to waves of attacks, including on tankers. After the U.S. intensified its crackdown on Iran in mid-July, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz declined, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes against several countries, including Kuwait. Though hostilities resumed this week after a brief pause, Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that oil supplies are continuing with the support of the U.S. military.

"We are deploying U.S. forces to escort oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz," he said in an interview, noting that approximately 6.5 million barrels of crude oil per day have been shipped from the Gulf region through the strait over the past week. "We are restoring the region's supply of oil and refined products to the global market."

In the Red Sea, some tankers are still venturing into the Gulf of Aden despite the threat of attacks from Iranian-backed Houthi militants, indicating their intention to dock at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port. Some Asian buyers appear to be loading cargo at the Sidi Kerir port on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, which is known to be a common export point for Saudi crude oil.