Shipping through Strait of Hormuz falls over 90 pct, 41 security incidents recorded in nearby waters: UK navy

The photo released on July 21, 2019 shows the British oil tanker "Stena Impero" surrounded by Iranian Revolutionary Guard near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran. (Morteza Akhoundi/ISNA/Handout via Xinhua)

LONDON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The British Royal Navy said on Friday that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, with the number of vessels passing through the waterway falling from about 130 per day before the conflict to fewer than 10, a decline of more than 90 percent.

The British Royal Navy, citing monitoring results from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) it leads, said that since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, reports of incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters have gone "through the roof," in the strait especially.

Between March 1 and April 27, a total of 41 security incidents were recorded.

The UKMTO said that around 850 to 870 large merchant vessels, including oil tankers, liquefied natural gas carriers and container ships, are currently stranded in the Gulf waters.

Meanwhile, about 20,000 seafarers are trapped in the region. Crew changes have been severely disrupted. Although supplies continue to reach ships, they have been reduced, and prolonged stranding could affect the mental health of seafarers.

The agency noted that as international attention focuses on the Strait of Hormuz, there is a warning of resurgent piracy off the coast of Somalia.