Maritime Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz Continues Despite Iran's Closure Announcement

Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday moved at a faster pace than before the U.S.-Iran agreement on talks to end the Middle East war, according to tracking firms, even after Tehran announced a renewed closure. The Kpler platform recorded 26 commodity-ship transits by 1530 GMT Monday.

AXSMarine data showed at least 26 commercial vessels, including container ships, had already passed through the strait by Monday morning.

Saturday recorded the highest traffic since the start of the war, with AXSMarine logging 38 commercial-vessel transits, 32 of them commodity ships. Both platforms indicated Monday totals could exceed Saturday once final figures are compiled. The strait, which Iran closed at the beginning of the war, reopened last week following the U.S.-Iran agreement signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Tehran announced the renewed closure on Saturday in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Tehran and Washington later agreed on mechanisms to end fighting in Lebanon and secure the strait, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil shipments. The two sides established a communication line "to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz," according to Qatari and Pakistani mediators.

"Despite uncertainty surrounding the US–Iran talks, the Strait of Hormuz remained operational over the weekend," Nikos Pothitakis of Kpler wrote on X. He added that some ships resumed sailing with transponders turned off. "The latest figures suggest a cautious but visible rebound in traffic following the MoU, although the daily pattern remains volatile," Mihail Todorov of AXSMarine told AFP.