Iran New Rule: Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, huge decline in shipping after Israel attacks

Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks on Lebanon by Israel. Due to this decision, there has been a sudden decline in the number of ships passing through this important sea route. There was very little movement of ships here on Sunday and many ships stopped tracking their location.

Iran’s Military Command and IRGC Navy announced the closure of this waterway on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Iran says this step is a response to America’s violation of the ceasefire agreement and Israel’s attacks in Lebanon. Iran has made it clear that now ships will have to take its permission to pass through this route.

On the other hand, America’s US Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied this claim. According to America, this international route is completely open and on Saturday, 55 merchant ships passed through here, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.

Decrease in number of ships

Data from maritime tracking companies showed that shipping traffic decreased significantly on Sunday, June 21. According to Windward, only 12 ships passed on Sunday, whereas on Saturday this number was more than 21. This decline was even more visible in Kpler’s data, where only 5 ships were reported to have passed.

• Windward Data: 12 ships passed on Sunday, while on Saturday the number was more than 21.
• Kpler data: Only 5 ships passed on Sunday, whereas there were 26 ships on Saturday.
• Status of ships: Many incoming ships had switched off their AIS signals.

Amidst this tension, technical level peace talks are going on in Switzerland between America and Iran, in which Pakistan and Qatar are playing the role of mediators. At the same time, taking precautions, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co and Kuwait Petroleum Corp have started offering options outside the Strait of Hormuz for loading oil.