▲ Iranian ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz
Reuters reported on the 1st (local time) that the volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz last month reached its highest level since the outbreak of the war involving Iran.
According to the report, S&P Global Energy tallied a total of 19 LNG cargo vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz last month.
This marks the highest monthly figure since the war between the U.S.-Israel and Iran began.
It also represents an increase compared to the traffic volume (15 vessels) recorded in June, when a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war was signed between the United States and Iran.
Among the ships that passed through last month, 13 were cargo vessels departing from Qatar and 6 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), respectively.
Eric Yep, a senior energy analyst at S&P, stated, "LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz accelerated particularly in late September," adding, "If this trend continues into October, total monthly traffic could recover to about 25 percent of pre-war levels."
Shipping analytics firm Kpler also stated that a total of 21 LNG cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz last month.
Although the exact figure differs from S&P's tally, Kpler's data likewise showed an increasing trend in LNG cargo ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz compared to June.
However, Reuters noted that it remains uncertain whether this LNG transport trend can be sustained amid surging energy demand during the winter season.
Some observers also suggest that if energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz increase, Iran may perceive this as a weakening of its control over the strait and resort to higher-intensity military provocations.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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