**[U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, Hormuz Strait Traffic Nearly Stalls]** Golden Finance reports that on July 9, the U.S. launched strikes against Iran for the second consecutive day, further destabilizing the fragile ceasefire agreement between the two nations. On Thursday, traffic in the Hormuz Strait nearly came to a standstill. Ship tracking data shows that observable traffic was primarily concentrated on the northern part of the waterway, along routes approved by Iran, while the U.S.-backed Oman corridor appeared notably quiet. Among large vessels, only one U.S.-sanctioned supertanker exited the Persian Gulf, while an Iranian-flagged container ship was spotted in the strait. However, it is also possible that some ships may have traversed the strait with their transponders turned off. This starkly contrasts with the recent routine activity in the Hormuz Strait. According to Kpler data, in the three weeks since the U.S. and Iran reached a temporary agreement to reopen the Hormuz Strait, the average daily number of cargo ships crossing the strait was 34, with a peak of 59 on June 24. During most days of the conflict, the daily average was fewer than 20 ships. (Jin10)