Brussels, July 31 -- Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to just five vessels on Thursday after Iran warned the strategic waterway would remain closed while US military operations continued, according to shipping data.
Marine traffic analytics firm Kpler said the vessels comprised a cargo ship and an LPG tanker among the five that transited the Strait. All crossed via a route designated by Iranian authorities.
The sharp reduction in traffic followed a statement by Iran's powerful theocratic guard, the IRGC, which declared on Thursday that the Strait would "not be reopened" as long as "excessive rhetoric, threats by American officials, and their interference with maritime movements in the region continue."Since the conflict ...