**[Strait of Hormuz March Shipping Volume Plummets Over 90%]** Odaily Planet Daily News: Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, shipping through the global energy transportation "lifeline," the Strait of Hormuz, has been severely disrupted. Market service agency data shows that since March, the number of merchant ships passing through this strait has dropped by 95% compared to before the conflict. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on the 23rd, citing data from market service agency Kpler, that from March 1 to 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time on March 23, merchant ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz only 144 times, a 95% decrease compared to February 28, before the conflict erupted. Among these, 91 transits were made by vessels transporting oil and natural gas, most of which sailed eastward out of the strait. Data from the multinational organization "Combined Maritime Forces" led by the U.S. Navy indicates that prior to the conflict, approximately 138 ships passed through the strait daily. AFP noted that on the 23rd, ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be using a northern route. Reportedly, this route is located north of Iran's Larak Island and has been approved by the Iranian government. (Xinhua News Agency)