On August 31, maritime intelligence firm Kpler recorded a sharp decline in traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the firm's data, there were five confirmed vessel crossings that day, representing a 50% decrease from the ten crossings recorded the previous day. The traffic consisted of four vessels entering the Middle East Gulf and one vessel exiting, utilizing a combination of Iranian, Omani, and negotiated maritime routes.

Kpler’s report highlighted that the composition of the traffic included two “shadow” vessels—ships often used to bypass standard tracking or regulatory oversight—and one vessel currently under international sanctions. The firm emphasized that these figures are preliminary and subject to change as more data is processed. Kpler also noted that it is possible for additional “dark” crossings—vessels operating with their tracking systems turned off—to be identified retrospectively, which could adjust the final count for the day. In contrast to the activity in the Strait of Hormuz, Kpler reported that traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remained stable during the same period.