During the blockade, the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian approval increased.

The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the strength of their signals are slowly increasing, although Iran currently maintains an effective blockade against most unlicensed commercial vessels. According to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, the weekly average number of ships passing through in both directions rose to seven as of Monday, up from five the previous week. While still far from normal traffic levels, this increase indicates that a small, selective fleet—primarily from non-hostile Asian countries—is continuing to transit the port. By allowing friendly vessels to pass while restricting Western vessels, Iran's blockade has evolved into a powerful tool of economic warfare. (Jinshi)