The Iran-US-Israel conflict enters its third week with approximately 1,000 ocean-going ships and 20,000 sailors stranded in the Arabian Gulf unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz, while the International Maritime Organization reports approximately 3,000 commercial ships remain within the wider Arabian Gulf as traffic through the strait has collapsed by approximately 90 percent. Oil prices have climbed back above $105 per barrel. President Trump's calls for allied nations to send warships to secure the strait have received a muted response, with major allies including Japan, Australia, and the UK declining to commit naval forces.
For vehicle shippers and logistics planners, today's developments confirm that disruption will continue for the foreseeable future. As we have covered since the conflict began in our Iran war shipping disruption analysis, the crisis has created the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market according to the International Energy Agency.
Al Jazeera reported Monday that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS that Tehran has been approached by a number of countries seeking safe passage for their vessels, and that this is up to our military to decide.
The selective transit policy is now producing concrete results:
India: Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers passed through the strait on Saturday. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Financial Times that negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran yielded the result, stating: I am at the moment engaged in talking to them, and my talking has yielded some results.
Pakistan: A Pakistani-flagged Aframax tanker called the Karachi sailed out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, Bloomberg News reported. CNN reported that three Pakistani oil tankers have crossed the strait in the past ten days, according to Pakistan National Shipping Corporation sources.
Turkey: Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed on March 13 that Iran approved passage for a Turkish ship, with 14 additional Turkish-owned vessels awaiting clearance.
China: Iran-linked tankers continue to transit, with Fortune reporting that an Iranian supertanker was spotted in waters north of Hormuz on Sunday with its destination listed as China. A VLCC, an LPG ship, and a couple of bulk carriers linked to Iran were among vessels seen exiting the Gulf early Sunday.
Iran's position was reiterated Monday by Foreign Minister Araghchi in Al Jazeera's live coverage: the strait is open, but closed to our enemies, to those who carried out this cowardly aggression against us and to their allies.
NPR reported Monday that President Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, warning in a Financial Times interview that he would remember if NATO counterparts did not help.
The response from allies has been notably cool:
Japan: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament that nothing has been decided on dispatching escort vessels and that Japan is examining what it can do independently within the legal framework, citing Japan's war-renouncing Constitution as the operative constraint, according to the Japan Times and the Straits Times.
Australia: A government minister stated Australia will not send ships to the strait.
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer told media Monday: we will not be drawn into the wider war.
Germany: Berlin responded cautiously to Trump's request.
China: The foreign ministry sidestepped questions about U.S. requests, calling on all parties to immediately cease military actions.
CNBC reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC the United States is allowing Iranian oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we have let that happen to supply the rest of the world, Bessent said.
The National reported that approximately 1,000 ocean-going ships and 20,000 sailors are currently unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz. These are vessels specifically blocked at or waiting near the strait entrance.
A separate and broader figure comes from the IMO. AGBI confirmed that the International Maritime Organization reported approximately 3,000 commercial ships remain within the wider Arabian Gulf, with traffic through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed by approximately 90 percent. These are two distinct figures measuring different vessel populations: the 1,000-ship figure refers specifically to ships unable to transit the strait, while the IMO's 3,000-ship count covers all commercial vessels currently within the broader Gulf region. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez also confirmed at least seven seafarer fatalities and several injuries since the conflict began.
Since the war began on February 28, multiple commercial vessels have been attacked in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre confirmed at least 16 attacks through the night of March 12, as reported at the time. By March 13, Euronews reported the total had reached at least 19. The count has continued to rise through Week 3 as attacks have persisted, and readers should refer to Al Jazeera's live coverage and Reuters for the most current confirmed attack figures as of today.
Windward maritime intelligence reported that approximately 400 vessels were detected in the Gulf of Oman on March 13, indicating a densely populated maritime environment as many vessels hold position outside Hormuz rather than dispersing globally — potentially reflecting expectations that the corridor may reopen.
The International Energy Agency's March report declared: the war in the Middle East is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.
Key findings from the IEA report:
Crude and oil product flows through the Strait of Hormuz have plunged from around 20 million barrels per day before the war to a trickle currently
Gulf countries have cut total oil production by at least 10 million barrels per day
Global oil supply is projected to plunge by 8 million barrels per day in March
More than 3 million barrels per day of refining capacity in the region has already shut
Export volumes of crude and refined products are currently at less than 10 percent of pre-conflict levels
CNN reported that Tehran's near-blockade means approximately 15 million barrels of crude oil and 5 million barrels of oil products are cut off from the global market every day. In other words, 400 million barrels of crude would be absorbed in just 26 days, CNN noted regarding the IEA emergency reserve release.
The IEA stated Sunday: the war in the Middle East is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. This emergency collective action, by far the largest ever, provides a significant and welcome buffer. But the most important factor in ensuring a return to stable flows is the resumption of regular transit of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Al Jazeera reported Monday that Brent crude rose as much as 3 percent on Sunday to top $106 a barrel before easing slightly early on Monday. Brent stood at $104.63 as of early Monday, up nearly 1.5 percent. Global oil prices have risen more than 40 percent since the start of the war. According to Fortune's March 16 oil price report, oil was trading around $102 per barrel using Brent as the benchmark.
According to UK Maritime Trade Operations data cited by Al Jazeera, no more than five ships have passed through the strait each day since the start of the war, compared with a pre-war average of approximately 138 commercial vessel crossings per day across all vessel types, per UKMTO data cited by Al Jazeera.
All major container carriers maintain booking suspensions for Persian Gulf destinations. According to Carra Globe's analysis, the Strait of Hormuz closure and resumed Houthi attacks have eliminated any near-term prospect of a return to Suez Canal routing.
Current carrier status, unchanged from previous weeks:
Maersk: FM1 and ME11 services suspended; all Hormuz transits suspended; Gulf shuttle services halted
MSC: End of Voyage declared for all Arabian Gulf cargo; all Middle East bookings suspended
Hapag-Lloyd: All Hormuz transits suspended; booking stop for UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman (Sohar), and Saudi Arabia (Dammam/Jubail)
CMA CGM: All vessels rerouting via Cape of Good Hope; Suez transits suspended
According to Carra Globe, protection and indemnity coverage was cancelled from March 5, making the economic risk too high for ship owners to use the strait even if military conditions improved.
Gulf producers are attempting to use alternative export infrastructure:
UAE: Diverting oil via the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline to the port of Fujairah on the Arabian Sea. However, a drone-related fire temporarily halted oil loading operations at Fujairah, a key Gulf export and bunkering hub located outside Hormuz.
Oman bypass ports: Duqm, Salalah, and Sohar in the Arabian Sea outside the strait allow tankers to bypass the chokepoint. However, drones struck Duqm and Salalah, damaging at least one fuel storage tank.
The IEA noted that pipeline capacity cannot match normal strait volumes — the deficit is approximately 12 million barrels per day.
Fortune reported that Navy officials described the Strait of Hormuz as an Iranian kill box, with escorts potentially taking months or years to clear all stranded vessels. The Economist's March 10 podcast Anatomy of an Oil Shock discussed estimates suggesting the cost of a single naval escort operation could exceed the value of the cargo it would protect. Jeff Currie, Chief Strategy Officer of Energy Pathways at Carlyle, has separately spoken to Bloomberg about energy supply chain risks being at historic highs, though the specific escort-cost estimate was discussed in the context of The Economist's podcast analysis rather than attributed to him directly.
At Pentagon briefings since the war began, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine has publicly acknowledged that Iran retains the capability to harm friendly forces and commercial shipping, and has described the operational environment as tactically complex, according to reporting by Breaking Defense and Al Jazeera.
Week 3 assessment: The fundamental picture has not changed. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to Western-allied commercial shipping. The selective transit policy benefits India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Chinese-linked vessels but does not extend to Western carriers or their cargo.
No escort timeline: Despite Trump administration statements, no naval escort operations have begun. The Pentagon describes conditions as still too dangerous for commercial convoy operations.
Record oil stockpile release insufficient: The 400 million barrel IEA release represents only 26 days of the supply gap at current disruption levels. It is a buffer, not a solution.
Carrier suspensions continue: All major container lines maintain booking suspensions for Persian Gulf destinations. There is no announced resumption date.
Planning assumption: Supply chain analysts recommend assuming disruption persists for at least 3 to 6 months based on the geopolitical complexity of the conflict.
Do not attempt to book shipments to Persian Gulf destinations. All major carriers have suspended bookings to UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and parts of Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Check the status of any cargo already in transit. If your container is on a vessel stranded in the Persian Gulf or diverted to an alternate port, contact your shipping provider immediately.
Evaluate overland alternatives. For cargo that must reach Gulf destinations, overland transportation from ports like Aqaba (Jordan), Salalah (Oman, if operational), or through Turkey may be the only viable routing until maritime access resumes.
Consider air freight for urgent shipments. Air freight remains the only reliable option for time-sensitive cargo to the Middle East, though rates have increased up to 70 percent on some routes according to National Today and FIDI Focus citing Channel News Asia. Note that air freight availability and pricing vary significantly by origin and destination; contact your logistics provider directly for current rates.
Plan for extended disruption. With no carrier resumption timeline and no escort operations underway, assume disruption through at least Q2 2026.
For a full framework on how these disruptions affect car shipping lane by lane, see West Coast Shipping's detailed explainer: Global Shipping Disruption: How the Iran Conflict Is Reshaping Routes.
For the full day-by-day shipping impact series since February 28, visit West Coast Shipping's Iran war shipping disruption coverage.
Disclaimer: This article is provided by West Coast Shipping as general informational content based on publicly available reporting as of March 16, 2026. The situation in the Middle East is developing rapidly and details may change. This is not legal, financial, or customs advice. All shipping routes, carrier policies, port statuses, and cost figures referenced are illustrative and based on publicly available information at the time of writing. Actual conditions, rates, and timelines may differ. Before making any shipping decisions, contact your logistics provider directly for the most current information.
If you are planning to ship a vehicle internationally during this period of disruption, West Coast Shipping can help you understand routing options and realistic timelines. Contact our team directly for guidance on navigating current conditions.