Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz showed signs of recovery as vessels stranded for months began moving in larger numbers, though the momentum proved fragile. The narrow waterway, which handles roughly a fifth of global oil flows, had seen commercial traffic stall amid escalating tensions.

That tentative rebound reversed over the weekend after Iran and the United States exchanged attacks, prompting many captains to pull back rather than risk transit. War-risk insurance premiums for the strait have surged, and several major tanker operators have instructed crews to hold position until the security picture clarifies.

The stop-start pattern underscores how quickly geopolitical flare-ups can choke a chokepoint that has no viable alternative for Gulf crude exports. Asian refiners, particularly in China and India, are watching closely — any sustained disruption would force costly rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to delivery schedules and upward pressure on benchmark prices.

For now, the strait remains open but underutilized, a reminder of how fragile commercial confidence is when state actors trade blows in one of the world's most strategic waterways.