More than 80 percent of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two weeks have used a route along Oman’s coast, shipping data indicates. The shift suggests Iran has lost part of its grip on the waterway.
DR reports that Iran has lost a significant share of control over the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States appears to have strengthened its position. The Danish broadcaster bases its report on CNN, which cites ship tracking data from the commodities analytics firm Kpler.
According to the Kpler figures, more than 80 percent of vessels transiting the strait in the previous two weeks used a lane hugging Oman’s coast. That corridor is a UN authorized route through the strait. Iran opposes its use and wants traffic to sail closer to the Iranian side.
Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler, told CNN that it increasingly looks like Iran has at least partially lost control of the strait. The data marks a sharp break from roughly a month earlier. Kpler recorded virtually no commercial traffic on the Omani route at that point.
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Ships choose the Oman lane despite attacks
Iran has attacked several ships attempting to pass along Oman’s coast, DR reports. Most vessels nevertheless use the lane, with promised protection from US naval forces. CNN ties the timing of the shift directly to that increased naval presence.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil. It has taken a central role in the war between the United States and Iran. President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that the United States has “total control” of the strait.
That picture is less clear, according to CNN. Iran remains able to strike shipping traffic, and oil transport through the area is still below prewar levels. A separate CNN analysis, published on August 14, 2026, cited both Kpler and the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre showing only a fraction of normal daily transits.
Competing claims over the waterway
Reuters reported on August 13, 2026 that the newly appointed head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force said the strait remains under the management and control of the Islamic Republic. The statement came shortly after Trump’s assertion of US control. A US official told NPR earlier in August that no party controls the lanes or the ability to transit them.
An analysis by Moneycontrol, drawing on the same Kpler figures, states that Tehran’s ability to dictate traffic and collect tolls in the strait has weakened. The outlet notes the change occurred over roughly the past month. The more than 80 percent figure rests on Kpler’s proprietary tracking, as cited by CNN and repeated elsewhere.
