Of the seven vessels, two Panamax ships exited the strait, one carrying fertiliser and the other sailing in ballast, according to data from ship tracker Kpler as of 0306 GMT. Also read: Iran attacks 10 ships near Strait of Hormuz in response to US strikes, oil prices surge Five vessels entered the strait, including a Panamax vessel carrying dry bulk cargo, a Handysize vessel laden with steel, a Handysize vessel carrying grains, a medium-range tanker loaded with dirty petroleum products, and a Supramax vessel carrying dry bulk cargo.

The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection. Before the Iran war started on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large, commercial vessels per day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels, accounting for some 20% of the world's daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

A U.S. blockade of Iran-related shipping has halted Iranian crude oil exports since it was reimposed in mid-July. In the Red Sea, Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen's port city of Mocha on Thursday and advanced down the Red Sea coast to strategic islands, military sources said.

In the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, 26 commodity vessels travelled through, tracking data showed. Of these, 10 vessels entered and 16 exited. This compares with an average of around 27 ships over the last 10 days.

The United States has succeeded in loosening Iran's grip over the Strait of Hormuz while virtually shutting down Iran's own exports. But the conflict is far from over and remains costly for both sides. The economic pressure on Iran has yet to spark an uprising.

And its leaders may choose military escalation instead of backing down. The price of Brent crude surged above $100 on Wednesday. The U.S. military deployment to maintain a blockade and help ships through the strait is costly. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are meanwhile stepping up attacks on Saudi Arabia.

That injects even more uncertainty into global oil markets.

Analysts suggest the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, which began in February, has stalled with low-level fighting persisting and no diplomatic progress following the collapse of a June agreement. While U.S. actions have reportedly restricted Iranian oil exports and increased economic pressure, these measures have not triggered an internal uprising, raising concerns about potential military escalation.

Meanwhile, renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have pushed Brent crude above $100 per barrel, with President Trump acknowledging that high fuel costs are likely to persist through the upcoming midterm elections.

Iranian ballistic missiles struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan over the weekend, with the Pentagon confirming light material damage though initially withholding specific casualty or loss details. While unverified social media footage suggested significant impacts, CBS News reported based on anonymous officials that several US military aircraft were damaged, including at least one A-10 Thunderbolt potentially being knocked out of commission.