March 22, 2026: Iran War Maritime Intelligence Daily in International Shipping News 23/03/2026 Operational Overview Maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely constrained as disruption enters its fourth week. Traffic continues at minimal levels, while routing behavior is shifting toward controlled and selective transit patterns. The system is operating under constraint, with defined access, uneven flows, and global trade adapting through rerouting, selective passage, and alternative export corridors due to disruptions from the conflict. SAR imagery of the Strait of Hormuz, March 19, 2026. Source: Windward Remote Sensing Intelligence. Energy markets are showing clear signs of strain. Export volumes are declining across key segments, while supply chains are adjusting in real time to infrastructure damage, transit restrictions, and enforcement pressure. Strait of Hormuz Traffic Transit activity through the Strait remains severely limited. Over the past seven days, only 16 AIS-visible crossings were recorded, consisting of 11 outbound and 5 inbound transits. This level of activity remains significantly below normal and reflects sustained suppression of commercial movement. SAR imagery from March 19 shows limited use of standard commercial navigation lanes, consistent with increased use of alternative routes through Iranian territorial waters. The falsely-flagged vessels’ path. Source: Windward Maritime AI™ Platform. Bulk carriers and LPG vessels are increasingly using these Iranian-controlled routes instead of traditional corridors. In most observed cases, these vessels had previously called at Imam Khomeini port, reinforcing the role of Iran in enabling selective passage. Additional signals support this pattern. A falsely flagged LPG carrier transited the Strait on March 21 while signaling China as its destination, indicating that access is being granted under specific operational or political conditions. Taken together, these indicators point to a transit environment that remains highly restricted and increasingly shaped by selective access rather than normal commercial movement. Gulf Vessel Presence Overview Despite restricted transit, vessel presence within the Arabian Gulf remains substantial. As of March 22, approximately 686 cargo and tanker vessels are operating in the region, including 292 tankers and 394 cargo vessels. LPG exports from the Gulf. Source: Vortexa. Vessel subclass distribution: Bulk carriers: 156 vessels. Crude oil tankers: 76 vessels. LNG and LPG carriers: 37 vessels. Container ships: 36 vessels. This distribution reflects a system under constraint rather than evacuation. Vessels are remaining in the Gulf, but movement is limited. The operating pattern is defined by staging, waiting, and repositioning, rather than active transit. LPG Exports and Flows LPG exports from the Gulf have declined to their lowest levels in at least 12 months. Over the past seven days, approximately 1.5 million barrels were loaded, with volumes primarily directed toward Asian markets. Crude exports from the Gulf. Source: Vortexa. The decline reflects both constrained transit through Hormuz and broader disruption across Gulf energy logistics. At the same time, routing patterns indicate that some LPG cargoes continue to move under selective access frameworks, exiting via Iranian-controlled routes. This reflects reduced volumes alongside constrained transit and routing conditions. Crude Oil Flows and Iranian Exports Crude