Amid rising Middle East conflict, a video shot by a Canadian YouTuber has gone viral, showing heavy ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil shipments. The clip gives a rare close-up look at the crowded sea as tensions rise in the Middle East.
Viral Video shows packed ships in Strait of Hormuz
The footage was filmed from a tour boat leaving Bandar Abbas, Iran. Dozens of oil tankers and cargo ships could be seen tightly packed in the narrow strait, one of the world’s most important routes for energy supplies. The YouTuber narrates while filming: “We’re now into the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. I’d say we’re about a couple of kilometres from the shore.”
He also explains the short time allowed for the trip: “We were told we’re only going to get 20 minutes out here because there are drones in the sky.” He continues, “Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to spend too much time out here. But I’ll give you a good panoramic view right now of what we can see. This is the island of Hormous. You can see it’s quite rugged, mountainous.”
The camera shows Hormuz Island, rugged and mountainous. He calls it a natural fortress: “I think that would pose a challenge to anybody who is trying to wrest control of it from the Iranian military,” he added, before shifting his focus to the fleet.
Ships packed in every direction
The YouTuber then counts around 90 ships in view. He notes: “I just did a quick and dirty count of the number of oil tankers and cargo ships out here. These are just ones that are visible to the naked eye, and I counted 90 of them. Some are pointed northward, others are pointed southward. So there appears to be quite a bit of two-way traffic close to the Iranian shore.” Al Jazeera was the first outlet to share the video.
Iran’s selective blockade hits the Strait of Hormuz
About one-fifth of global oil trade passes through this narrow passage. Any blockages or long delays could drive energy prices up and affect markets worldwide. The Strait of Hormuz is currently facing a “selective blockade” by Iran following the escalation of Operation Epic Fury. Passage through this key waterway now depends heavily on diplomatic alignment.
Iran has closed the Strait to “hostile” ships. This specifically targets vessels connected to the United States, Israel, and their allies. At the same time, Iran has allowed safe passage to certain “friendly” countries, including India, China, Russia and Pakistan. Recently, Thailand also secured permission for its tankers to pass safely.
For the 95% of ships that don’t belong to these friendly nations, the strait is essentially off-limits. Reasons include: Direct Iranian threats, attacks on at least 21 merchant ships, ‘phantom blockade’ effects like soaring insurance costs and European banks refusing letters of credit.
The U.S. and a 22-nation NATO-led coalition are weighing military options to reopen the strait, but for now, the reality remains a high-stakes bottleneck. Iranian-controlled fleets continue to supply Asian markets, while regional neighbours like Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE face severe logistical paralysis. The crisis has forced these countries to declare force majeure on their energy exports, effectively halting shipments.