Ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz increased by 27% amid the strengthening of the American presence

The number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz rose by 27% over the past week, according to a CNN analysis of data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which recorded 103 ships entering and 89 exiting.

However, this number represents only 20% of the average movement recorded over the 7 days before the war, as the waterway remains a focal point in the Iran war.

The majority of the passing ships were flying the flag of Panama (7 ships) and Liberia (6 ships), while there were no ships flying the American flag. The most common type of ship crossing the strait was oil product tankers, which usually transport refined petroleum derivatives.

Currently, evidence suggests that the US Navy is strengthening its presence in the strait while Iran is losing much of its control, with more than 80% of liquid shipments transported in the past two weeks crossing the Omani route - a UN-approved shipping lane that Iran strongly rejects.

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said on the X platform on Saturday that the US Navy helped earlier this week transport more than 15 million barrels of oil and its derivatives through the strait, in addition to transporting another 5 million barrels via pipelines.

He added: "Without a doubt, thanks to the US Navy, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz."