how was the transit of ships through the strait of hormuz handled prior to current war between us and iran

Before the current war, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was handled as a normal, tightly managed commercial passage: vessels used the standard traffic lanes, most ships kept moving under international maritime rules, and the strait carried a huge share of the world’s oil and gas trade. Prior to the fighting, about 3,000 vessels moved through the strait each month, and the route handled roughly 15 million barrels of oil and products per day, with pre-war daily traffic often around 100 to 130 ships.

How it worked

Ships generally followed two designated lanes through the waterway, like lanes on a divided highway, to reduce collision risk in the narrow channel. When tensions rose, traffic did not stop immediately, but it became more cautious, with shipping firms, insurers, and navies adjusting routes, speeds, and security practices to reduce exposure.

What changed later

Once the conflict escalated, Iran effectively restricted access for much of international shipping, and traffic dropped sharply. Some vessels were rerouted through alternate paths in Iranian or Omani waters, but overall flow fell far below normal levels, and commercial confidence weakened.

In plain terms

So, before the war, the strait was treated as a busy but functioning global shipping corridor; during the war, it became a high-risk chokepoint with ad hoc restrictions, rerouting, and much lower traffic.

TL;DR: prior to the conflict, ships passed through Hormuz using standard international lanes with routine commercial coordination; once fighting escalated, transit became heavily disrupted and far less predictable.