Jordan’s port of Aqaba has experienced a significant increase in transit cargo amid disruptions to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, following heightened tensions and conflict in the region, according to port officials and terminal data.

Since late February, when strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran escalated into a regional conflict, the security risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have led to a sharp decline in commercial traffic through the vital maritime corridor. The Strait had previously been a key passageway for global oil shipments and other trade.

In response to the instability, traders have turned to alternative routes, including overland pathways through Syria and Jordan. Aqaba, Jordan’s sole seaport on the Red Sea, has notably benefited from this shift. Angshuman Mustafi, chief commercial officer at the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), reported a container trade growth of about 5 percent, driven largely by increased volumes to the Greater Levant region and Iraq.

The ACT announced in July that transit volumes through Aqaba surged 155.1 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Port officials attribute much of this growth to increased trucking activity to Iraq. Previously, Iraq imported consumer goods mainly through Basra, its port on the Persian Gulf, but disrupted shipping via Hormuz has caused a steep decline in Basra’s commercial throughput.

Now, containers are unloaded at Aqaba and transported by road approximately 760 kilometers east to Iraq. Truck drivers have noted a substantial rise in assigned shipments. "Before the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, we hardly had any work. Now, there is work — you get three, four, or five transport orders," said Moussa Abu Abdeh, a driver operating in the region.

Representatives of Jordan’s shipping community are hopeful this uptick in traffic will prove lasting. Mashihoor Al Jazy, spokesperson for the Jordan Shipping Association, remarked that the new trade flow could solidify Aqaba’s role as a permanent transit hub. He emphasized the port’s strategic location and expressed a desire to establish Aqaba as a key trade route even after the current regional crisis subsides.

Tensions remain high in the region, with Iran having reportedly targeted military sites in Jordan in retaliation to US attacks. Jordan is considered a close ally of Washington, adding to the geopolitical sensitivities surrounding these developments.

The evolving dynamics at Aqaba underscore broader shifts in regional trade logistics amid ongoing conflict and highlight the challenges and opportunities for alternative routes circumventing the beleaguered Strait of Hormuz.