According to Reuters, which cited preliminary shiptracking data on Friday, September 11, vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz decreased to seven on Thursday from eleven the day before. The figures fall far short of the 10-day average of 15. The data showed that two of the seven vessels left and five entered.
Any vessels that may have traversed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders off in order to evade detection are not included in the numbers. According to a US official cited by Reuters, Iranian strikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan this week damaged several US military aircraft.
Even before Iran’s strikes on Tuesday, the world’s best-funded military, the United States, sustained substantial damage. This includes Iran hitting fighter jets, more than two dozen drones being destroyed, and aircraft being lost in mishaps.
42 US military aircraft had already been lost or damaged in the fighting, according to a May Congressional Research Service assessment. Over 800 US service members have been hurt and 18 have died since the battle in Iran began in February.
One A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the Warthog, was damaged by Iran’s attack and lost a wing, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. About eight F-15s suffered minor damage and were put back into service.
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