Daily ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz fall to their lowest since May as Qatar warns reopening it is a priority

According to Kpler data published by Al Jazeera on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 (17 Shahrivar 1405), an average of 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz daily over the past 10 days, the lowest level since May, following US and Iranian strikes on tankers. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mohammed Al Ansari, told US media that opening the strait is a priority and that the world faces an industrial catastrophe if the crisis continues.

The warning follows an announcement by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, of a new restricted zone in the Strait of Hormuz, and comes as Brent crude traded above 97 dollars a barrel on Monday, September 7 (16 Shahrivar). The sharp drop in shipping traffic through the strait, which carries roughly a fifth of global oil supply, bears directly on energy freight costs and on the risk premium weighing on Iran's own markets.