Six months into the US-Israel war on Iran, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused one of the worst maritime shipping disruptions in decades. Traffic through the critical chokepoint has fallen from over 100 vessels a day to just five, marking an almost 95% decrease from pre-war levels. This has severely impacted the flow of oil, gas, and goods worldwide, with crude exports from the Gulf region dropping by nearly half (47%) compared to before the war, from about 17 million barrels per day in 2025 to roughly nine million bpd as of August 2026. The disruption is driving up costs for essentials globally, as there is no alternative maritime route for the strait.