Oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz rebounds to war average level, shipping repairs from low point On May 18th, according to AFP citing Kpler shipping data, commercial vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz rebounded last week amid the Middle East conflict, with a total of 55 commodity transport ships passing through, a significant rebound from the previous week's 19 ships, which was a temporary low since the outbreak of the conflict. The data shows that since March 2026, an average of about 55 merchant ships have been passing through the strait every week, and last week's level has returned to the average range during the war. About half of them are oil tankers, including three ultra large crude oil transport ships heading towards China, Oman, and Japan. Analysis indicates that although traffic volume has recovered, overall it is still below the level of peacetime. After the outbreak of the conflict, the strait, which serves as a transportation channel for about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, has been continuously affected by geopolitical and sanction environments for its shipping stability. The report also mentioned that Iran has strengthened its management of the passage mechanism and implemented toll and restriction measures on some shipping, making this key waterway continue to be an important focus of US Iran negotiations and regional security games. [Original link]