"No chance": why the US Navy refused to escort tankers in the Strait of Hormuz

Global energy trade has faced an unprecedented challenge: ship traffic through the planet's key transportation artery, the Strait of Hormuz, has almost completely stopped. According to a report by the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), traffic intensity has collapsed from the usual 138 ships per day to a critical minimum of just two units in 24 hours.

Key facts of the current crisis:

• Tanker vacuum: According to monitoring data, none of the ships that have passed in the last 24 hours were tankers. In fact, the transportation of oil and gas through the strait has been stopped.

• Insurance impasse: Dozens of vessels remain in standby mode near the strait. The situation is aggravated by the fact that international insurers have begun to massively refuse to compensate for damage caused by military risks, which has made navigation legally and financially impossible.

• Risks for the global market: The importance of this route cannot be overestimated. In 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil, condensate and petroleum products passed through the Strait of Hormuz every day. This represents almost 19% of global production and about 29% of total global exports.

Political deadlock and lack of protection

Despite the fact that there have been no official statements about the closure of the strait, the situation is assessed as critical. Washington's attempts to intervene in the situation have so far failed.

• The US position: The federal government's promises to intervene in tanker insurance protection issues remain declarative for the time being.

• Military escort: President Trump's previously announced plans to escort tankers by the US Navy have met with military skepticism.

According to the Lloyd's List report, the fleet command recognized the implementation of such an operation as "having no chance of success" in the current conditions.

The JMIC agency has extended the status of a "critical situation" at sea for another 48 hours. There are currently no signs of de-escalation, which threatens the stability of global energy supply in the short term.

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