At least five vessels that had planned to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday executed sharp U-turns at the entrance and did not proceed through the chokepoint, according to a report by CNN citing MarineTraffic data.
The ships had originally intended to navigate closer to the Omani coast before altering course.
This development marks a tangible escalation in operational caution for commercial traffic in one of the world's most critical energy corridors.
The abrupt course changes highlight the persistent friction between commercial shipping schedules and the heightened security environment in the region.
While Iran's navy reported on Wednesday that 26 vessels had passed through the strait since Tuesday, the latest incidents suggest that compliance with approved navigation routes remains a volatile variable.
The grounding of a foreign container ship earlier in the week for failing to follow designated paths has likely contributed to the current hesitation among masters and operators.