U.S. Forces Report Surge in Commercial Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz
U. S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant vessels, carrying cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil, safely transited the Strait of Hormuz while U. S. forces continued operations in the area. Earlier, CNBC reported industry officials warning that clearing the backlog of vessels after the U. S.
-Iran memorandum could take several weeks. The New York Times said about 25 vessels began a cautious transit, still far below pre-war levels and many ships remained stranded. Later, CNBC noted a surge in oil tanker traffic, with 25 vessels including 20 tankers moving through the strait. U. S. Central Command then confirmed that the total rose to 55 merchant ships, indicating a significant increase in commercial movement in the region.