Hormuz Blockade Traps 79% of Stranded Container Ships After Two Months

Two months into the Strait of Hormuz blockade—sparked by Iran closing the chokepoint on February 28, 2026—roughly 40 of 53 top-carrier container vessels remain trapped in the Persian Gulf, a 79% stranding rate.

Only nine escaped initial attempts, with CMA CGM hit hardest (15 vessels, 87% trapped, two outbound); MSC lost two to IRGC seizures; COSCO managed two retries successfully. Smaller operators like Wan Hai, Evergreen, and ONE report zero successes, idling thousands of TEUs amid mounting fuel and crew expenses.

Rival US-Iran naval blockades have throttled traffic to near-zero, stranding ~1,600 vessels overall and slashing daily transits from 138 (April 30) to 9-15 by early May. US Central Command rerouted 49 ships by May 3, while sanctioned Iranian vessels like Golbon navigated sporadically.

Disruptions ripple to rerouting hubs—Salalah, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali—causing congestion and rate spikes on Asia-Middle East, India-Europe lanes (up 20-50% premiums). Indian ports like JNPA and Mundra face delays in petrochemicals, construction goods; global supply chains brace for low-margin cargo hits.

Despite minor upticks in diverse traffic (LPG, bulk), full recovery lags amid “renewed tensions” and risk assessments. Kpler stresses actionable tracking for carriers navigating this “unparalleled concentration” crisis.