Only dozens of ships have dared to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, despite the U.S.-Iran agreement announced over the weekend to end the war and restore normal trade. The goal of the deal was to reopen the strategic waterway immediately, but many vessels that had been stuck in the area for months are still staying put because of uncertainty over the strait’s status, conflicting official statements, and logistical problems.
According to maritime tracking firms Kpler and Windward, about 60 ships crossed the strait from Thursday through Saturday. The U.S. military gave a higher figure, saying 55 ships crossed on Saturday alone, compared with 22 counted by the tracking companies that day. Even so, that is far below the roughly 130 ships that passed daily before the war.
Matt Smith, Kpler’s chief oil analyst, told CNN there is no sign of a mass departure: “You don’t see a sudden exodus of ships. You see an increase in traffic, but not a significant increase.” Jakob Larsen, safety and security chief at BIMCO, said shipping companies still do not know where it is safe to sail or what procedures to follow. He said that despite the ceasefire, the security situation “still remains volatile and unstable,” and added that fear of mines is keeping ships away.
Almost 500 vessels, including 220 oil tankers, remain trapped in the Persian Gulf. Although Iran and the United States signed the ceasefire deal, experts cited by The New York Times said it may take months before shipping traffic and oil flows return to normal. Confusion worsened after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard naval arm said the strait had been closed, while U.S. Central Command publicly denied that claim and said maritime traffic was continuing and that “the Strait of Hormuz is open.” Under the deal, Iran must reopen the strait immediately and not charge ships for 60 days.
