Mücahithan Avcıoğlu
11 May 2026•Update: 11 May 2026
Forty-two container ships operated by the world’s top 10 carriers remain trapped inside the Gulf two months after the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to commercial container traffic, according to ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, citing Kpler data.
MarineTraffic said in an analysis Monday that 53 vessels from the largest global container carriers were inside the Gulf when the disruption began, with 79% still unable to exit through the strategic waterway.
Only nine vessels have successfully left the Gulf, while two required a second attempt to pass through the strait, the maritime analytics platform said.
Both vessels were operated by China’s COSCO, making it the only carrier to achieve a successful breakout on a second attempt.
The data showed French shipping group CMA CGM had 15 vessels inside the Gulf, with 13 still trapped, corresponding to an 87% entrapment rate.
MSC had 14 vessels in the Gulf, with eight still remaining there. Two MSC vessels were seized by Iranian authorities, while one was struck by debris, according to MarineTraffic.
Maersk had six vessels in the Gulf, five of which remain trapped, while COSCO had five vessels, including the two that exited on a second attempt.
Wan Hai, Evergreen, Yang Ming, Ocean Network Express and HMM have recorded no successful exits, MarineTraffic said.
The continued disruption has removed tens of thousands of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from active rotation, reducing available container capacity and leaving vessels unable to generate revenue while crews remain stranded.
MarineTraffic said the situation has also forced cargo owners to reroute supply chains structurally, with Kpler monitoring which terminals are absorbing Gulf-linked trade and how long those facilities can withstand the additional pressure.
The 42 vessels still inside the Gulf represent “one of the largest involuntary fleet concentrations in modern maritime history,” MarineTraffic said.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Its prolonged disruption has increased pressure on regional ports, shipping schedules and global supply chains already strained by security risks linked to the Iran war.
