Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, according to data from tracking monitor MarineTraffic analysed by AFP.

After three ships were attacked on Sunday, at least three tankers and a vessel carrying gas have crossed this chokepoint.

Nearly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil and about 20pc of liquified natural gas (LNG) transit through the Strait of Hormuz.