Fewer vessels travelled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first day ​after the US reimposed its naval ‌blockade on Iranian ports, with both countries escalating strikes across the Gulf, shipping data showed.

Seven vessels crossed ​the strait on Wednesday, mostly on ​the Iranian route, down from 13 the ⁠previous day, Kpler data showed.

Hostilities have intensified ​since Iran said late on Saturday it ​had closed the Strait of Hormuz.

Military operations are keeping ships from travelling through the waterway, which carried ​about a fifth of global oil and ​gas shipments before the war.

On Wednesday, four empty vessels ‌entered ⁠the Gulf, including three small oil tankers and a dry bulk carrier for grains, the data showed.

The three vessels that ​exited the ​strait on ⁠Wednesday carried liquefied petroleum gas, coal and fuel oil.

On Tuesday, a ​Suezmax tanker carrying 1 million barrels ​of ⁠Saudi crude exited the strait with its transponder switched off, Kpler data showed.

There were ⁠no ​Very Large Crude Carrier or ​liquefied natural gas tankers passing through the strait on ​Wednesday.