Are Ships Breaking Out of the Strait of Hormuz | Report from A Ship in the Persian Gulf

TL;DR

Tankers are attempting unauthorized southern routes out of the Strait of Hormuz as a 95% traffic drop triggers a looming global economic crisis.

Key Points

• 1.Ships are breaking out via an unusual southern route. Vessels including the Daloot (crude tanker), Zahor LNG, and Habut are running south of the main traffic separation scheme near the Raycon buoy rather than through the standard Kisham-Laric Island toll booth channel.
• 2.Strait of Hormuz traffic has collapsed by 95%. Average vessel transits dropped from 129 ships per day in February to just 6 for the entire month of March, according to UNCTAD data published April 1st, 2026.
• 3.US merchant ships were abandoned without military communication or security guidance. A mariner who departed a stranded US vessel reported almost no contact with the military, no secure communications (no flyaway packs), and no direction on defensive measures — with cadets from Kings Point still aboard during the crisis.
• 4.Trump's claim that the US doesn't need Persian Gulf oil is misleading. EIA data shows the US imports roughly 250 million barrels annually from the region — equivalent to 125 supertanker loads — though it represents only 3–5% of US consumption.
• 5.Global fuel and shipping costs have skyrocketed. Bunker fuel prices have doubled or tripled; clean product tanker rates are over double the February baseline; US gas hit $3.99/gallon nationally and $5.33 on the West Coast, with California diesel at $7.22/gallon — up $2.44 year-over-year.
• 6.The economic shock extends far beyond oil. LNG, LPG, helium, fertilizers (urea, MAP, DAP), car carriers, containers, and sulfur are all blocked, threatening global supply chains, food prices, and chip manufacturing inputs; UNCTAD projects global trade growth slowing from 4.7% to as low as 1.5%.
• 7.Recovery will take months to years even after the conflict ends. The host compares it to the Ever Given Suez blockage — six days caused six weeks of disruption — arguing 30+ days of Hormuz closure could mean 30 weeks of recovery, potentially extending disruption into 2027.