Two vessels belonging to the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, according to the UAE’s state news agency WAM. The UAE government blamed Iran for the attacks. Tehran has not immediately commented on the allegations.
Only nine vessels passed through the narrow waterway on Thursday, compared with five on Wednesday, according to ship tracking company Kpler. The figure remained below the August average of 12 crossings per day.
No visible vessel crossings were recorded early Friday, according to shipping data. Some vessels may still have transited the strait with their tracking systems switched off, but traffic remains far below the more than 130 vessels that crossed the waterway daily before the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.
Torbjorn Solvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, said Iran’s ability to restrict shipping through the strait remains its main source of leverage in negotiations, alongside threats to regional energy infrastructure.
US Threatens Further Economic Pressure
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States has the military capability to maintain its naval blockade of Iran for as long as necessary.
“The United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that indefinitely because we'll rotate ships in and out,” Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also warned that Washington would introduce additional measures targeting Iran’s economy.
He said the United States would announce new measures next week and described them as potentially unprecedented in the history of economic isolation.
US President Donald Trump is facing domestic pressure to end the war, with higher fuel prices affecting his approval ratings and potentially creating difficulties for his Republican Party in the November midterm elections.
Brent crude futures were trading at around $87 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was around $81.
Iran Sets Conditions for Reopening Hormuz
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will not fully reopen until its demands are met, including the removal of economic sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
An Iranian parliamentary committee approved a plan for the strait on Thursday that includes restrictions on the transit of US, Israeli and other countries Tehran considers hostile, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The United States had temporarily lifted its blockade of Iranian shipping and ports for a month in June but later reinstated it, further restricting Tehran’s access to foreign currency.
Washington has previously said the blockade could be lifted if Iran and Oman, which border the Strait of Hormuz, reach an agreement to restore commercial shipping.
Global Energy Supplies Under Pressure
The disruption has raised concerns over global energy supplies because the Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States has “total control” over the waterway, while Iran has rejected the claim and insisted on its right to impose restrictions.
The US has also expanded economic sanctions on Iran and individuals and entities it says are helping Tehran acquire weapons. However, the pressure campaign has so far failed to bring Iran back to negotiations.
Concerns over a wider regional conflict also increased after Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen were reported to have targeted a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan with drones.
Economists have warned that a prolonged disruption could significantly weaken global economic growth and potentially push some economies into recession if the conflict continues.
