Saudi tanker stopped at Hormuz as vessels entering the strait fall below 10-day average

A Saudi oil tanker was reportedly stopped while passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Iranian media reported.The vessel was reportedly travelling through the southern corridor of the strait. Saudi Arabia, however, has not confirmed the information.The reported incident comes a day after a tanker was struck by three unknown projectiles while passing the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, raising concerns regarding a re-escalation of the Middle East conflict.The tanker was sailing in the southern shipping lane close to the Omani coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a post on Tuesday. No casualties were reported.Meanwhile, the number of vessels sailing through the Hormuz fell even lower as four vessels entered the strait and one exited, compared to the 10-day average of around 14. According to Kpler data.Vessels sailing through the strait with their transponders turned off are not included in the count.As per the data, no liquid tankers were among the vessels sailing through the waterway.Among the vessels that entered, one was reportedly an empty handy-sized gas tanker that reached the strait via the Iranian route. The other three were laden dry bulk carriers.Meanwhile, at the other chokepoint, the Bab-el Mandeb Strait, the number of vessels transiting was at a three-day high of 27, Kpler data showed, with fourteen vessels entering the strait and 13 exiting.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.