Fewer transits mean fewer near-term bunkering opportunities in the immediate region. File Image / Pixabay

• Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a single digit per day over the weekend, preliminary data shows
• Four vessels exited the Gulf through the strait; 10 entered, against a 10-day average of 14
• Comes as Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, a key Hormuz bypass route, was temporarily shut after a drone attack
• A vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the strait, UKMTO said early Sunday

Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a single digit per day over the weekend, well below a 10-day average of 14, according to preliminary shiptracking data reported by Reuters on Monday.

Four vessels exited the Gulf through the strait over the weekend, including a Handysize vessel sailing in ballast, a Handy vessel carrying LPG, a Supramax carrying fertiliser, and a Suezmax laden with crude or condensate, the data showed.

Ten vessels entered the Gulf, including a mini-bulker carrying minor bulk commodities, a Handymax carrying grain, a Panamax carrying metals, and a Supramax carrying dry bulk cargo.

The figures exclude any vessels that may have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off to avoid detection, Reuters said.

The drop comes as tensions in the region remain elevated, with Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, which has helped relieve the logjam in the strait by moving crude to Red Sea export terminals, temporarily shut down after a drone attack launched from Iraq, Saudi officials said.

A vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the strait, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said early on Sunday, adding that the crew's status, the extent of damage, and any environmental impact were unknown.

Before the war between the US, Israel, and Iran began on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels a day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers, and container ships, accounting for around 20% of the world's daily crude oil and LNG supply, according to Reuters.

A US blockade of Iran-related shipping has halted Iranian crude oil exports since it was reimposed on July 14.

In the nearby Bab el-Mandeb strait, 24 and 27 commodity vessels transited on Saturday and Sunday respectively, close to the 10-day average of around 27, the tracking data showed.

Fewer transits through the Strait of Hormuz also mean fewer near-term bunkering opportunities in the immediate region, even as the wider marine fuel supply squeeze at nearby hubs has eased since the war's early months, with Fujairah bunkering activity back to around 40% of its pre-war level and Singapore steady throughout.