As a critical artery for global energy transportation, traffic conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have remained tense recently. Monitoring data indicates that between Wednesday and Thursday early morning, only thirteen vessels were observed successfully traversing this strategic waterway, with no immediate signs of the channel fully reopening. Observations reveal that the vast majority of transit vessels prefer navigating the northern route located between Iranian islands within the strait. Notably, among the permitted vessels passing through, most are associated with Tehran or China, reflecting a common strategy adopted by ships in recent weeks.

According to aggregated shipping tracking data, eight vessels departed Persian Gulf waters since Wednesday morning, including bulk carriers and crude oil tankers linked to Iran. Early Thursday morning, three more vessels left the area, comprising two bulk carriers and one fuel oil tanker. Meanwhile, the number of vessels entering the Persian Gulf remained relatively low, including two refined product tankers, two liquefied petroleum gas carriers, and one container ship. However, exact data on vessel passage may be skewed due to electronic interference. Persistent electronic interference signals in the region disrupt vessel tracking systems, and combined with ships often disabling their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders in high-risk waters, the timeliness and reliability of tracking data are compromised.

Analysts point out that actual navigation activities may remain undetected due to disabled vessel transponders. Some oil tankers linked to Iran often do not resume signal transmission until reaching Fujairah in the UAE or approaching the Malacca Strait. Consequently, as subsequent delayed data is released, current passage statistics may be adjusted upward. Currently, to accurately identify potential passing vessels, positioning signals covering broader areas such as the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea need to be aggregated and analyzed to determine whether relevant navigation is genuine or the result of signal spoofing.