Ships Begin Cautious Transit Through Strait of Hormuz After Reopening Deal
Following a preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran, about 25 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, though traffic remains far below pre-war levels and many ships stay stranded.
Shipowners and operators prepared on Friday for a limited window to exit the Persian Gulf after being immobilised for more than three months. Data from maritime analytics firm Kpler showed at least 25 vessels, including 14 tankers, passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a modest increase over recent weeks but well below the pre-conflict average of roughly 130 ships per day.
The movement follows a preliminary agreement signed by the U.S. president and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, which initiates a 60-day negotiation period and includes Iran’s commitment to reopen the strait. The U.S. military also announced the lifting of a blockade on Iranian ships that had been in place since April.
Despite the progress, about 500 commercial vessels remain stranded in the Gulf. Executives cited lingering uncertainties, such as the safest navigation route amid naval mines in the central strait, procedures for queuing and exiting, and potential GPS interference. Additional practical concerns include hull fouling from barnacles that developed while ships were idle.
"It is still risky for ships to start transiting," said Jakob Larsen, chief security officer at the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), addressing the association’s members.
The next phase of negotiations was postponed by Switzerland, and renewed Israeli strikes in Lebanon added further volatility, causing oil prices to fluctuate after a recent decline.
