The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) put its combined Hormuz transit estimate at 277 for the week through Oct. 28; the International Maritime Organization (IMO) listed 125 confirmed regional incidents and 24 seafarer deaths.
UKMTO's reported total rose from 241 in the prior week. Its Oct. 22-28 count included 155 passages into the strait and 122 out. The center said the combined estimate remained about 70% below pre-conflict levels.
The estimate combines vessel movements identified through automatic identification system (AIS) broadcasts with transits the United States said it facilitated. UKMTO said it could not independently verify the U.S.-reported figures or the combined total. AIS data showed 64 passages during the latest week, 17 more than in the preceding count; UKMTO described the U.S.-reported facilitated figure as little changed.
The IMO register covers the Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Some vessels appear in multiple entries, so the 125 total counts incidents rather than distinct ships. EconoTimes previously explained the register's scope and counting method.
The IMO Council is holding its 138th session in London through Nov. 6, with protection of vital shipping lanes, including Hormuz, on its agenda.
