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Strait of Hormuz: Viral video claims to show miles-long queue of stranded oil tankers, cargo ships
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that they control the Strait of Hormuz. It is a vital shipping route for oil and gas.
A video has gone viral on social media purportedly showing oil tankers and cargo caught in the Strait of Hormuz backup in a miles-long queue. Traffic at the strait that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea has drastically dropped following Israel and the USA’s attack on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation.
Earlier, the Iranian state media reported that the officials have issued a chilling warning to set fire to any vessel that attempts to cross the strategic waterway. Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, said, “The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze.”
Also Read: Iran warns it will set fire to any vessel attempting to pass the Strait of Hormuz
Though a US military official denied Iran’s claim of closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an official from the European Union's naval mission Aspides reportedly said that vessels in the area were receiving VHF transmissions from Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The Iranian military warned, "No ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz".
What does the video show?
The video is now viral on social media. Sharing it on X, an individual questioned, “Strait of Hormuz: Oil tankers and cargo ships form a queue stretching for kilometres. Since the Strait is responsible for about 20% of global oil trade, the disruption is driving up oil and gas prices. If this lasts a month, what will happen?”
Captured from a distance, the footage depicts several vessels anchored in sequence, forming a stationary line across the vast waterway.
How many vessels are stuck in Hormuz backup?
Reuters, citing ONE CEO, reported on March 3 that about 10% of the global container ships were caught in the Gulf of Hormuz backup. Jeremy Nixon, CEO of container carrier Ocean Network Express (ONE), told the outlet, "About 10% of the container ship global fleet is caught up in this.”
Also Read: UAE's counterstrikes on Iran next? All eyes on Gulf states' moves as Tehran 'crosses red lines'
Nixon further added that around 750 vessels, including 100 container ships, are trapped in the Strait of Hormuz backup.
About the conflict in the Middle East:
The conflict in the Middle East is now in Day 5 following the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and other key figures. Tehran, in retaliation, responded with counter-strikes on US military bases and Israeli assets across the region, including facilities in Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.
CNN, citing Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei's son, was elected the new Supreme Leader of Iran. The decision was reportedly made by a few senior Iranian officials in a virtual meeting.
The Strait of Hormuz dominates Google Trends
Google Trends shows a significant surge in searches about the Strait of Hormuz. Users are primarily flocking to the web to verify the status of the waterway, with "Strait of Hormuz news" and "Iran" leading the top queries.
The data reveals a world on edge, as people specifically search for whether the strategic chokepoint is closed.
