British maritime officials said shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is moving steadily after the U.S.–Iran truce, but security risks remain substantial and commercial volumes have not returned to normal.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has stabilized after last month’s U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding, but traffic remains far below pre-war levels and security threats continue to slow recovery, British maritime authorities said Monday.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said vessel movements through the strategic waterway have remained “steady” in recent days. Ships continue to use both the southern Omani shipping corridor and the northern route controlled by Iran.
The agency said, however, that it has not seen evidence of a sustained increase in traffic through the U.S.-supported southern corridor, indicating that the rebound remains gradual even after the agreement formally reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
“Risk remains lower than during the pre-MOU period,” UK Maritime Trade Operations said, while noting that navigation interference “persists” and that the threat from naval mines laid by Iranian forces remains “relevant.”
The agency continued to classify the threat level in Hormuz as “substantial.”
“Iranian intent and capability to conduct intentional hostile action remain, and the environment continues to warrant heightened vigilance despite the absence of recent escalation,” the British maritime authority said.
A July 6 advisory from the Joint Maritime Information Center, published by UK Maritime Trade Operations, said the southern Omani route remains open for vessels moving into and out of the Gulf.
“Mariners are reminded that the southern route of the SoH has been expanded and remains available for all traffic,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said.
The advisory said ships are “strongly encouraged” to remain in contact with U.S. naval forces operating in the region to support freedom of navigation, though coordination with American forces is not mandatory for safe passage.
U.S.-assisted commercial transits have continued without interruption, UK Maritime Trade Operations said in its July 5 update. The agency said ships have moved through the strait despite ongoing mine-clearing operations and continued monitoring by Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces.
The British authority said Iranian forces have continued radio hailing and surveillance of merchant vessels, reflecting a “continued intent to assert presence in the area.”
Iran’s military command warned last week that tankers moving through Hormuz must use Tehran-approved routes or risk a “powerful response.” Despite that warning, UK Maritime Trade Operations updates and vessel-tracking data indicate that shipping flows are continuing.
The latest assessment came as a fleet of 10 Japan-linked commercial ships finally exited the Strait of Hormuz after being delayed in the Persian Gulf for months during the Iran conflict.
Shipping data compiled by LSEG showed the convoy leaving the strait on July 6. The vessels included six very large crude carriers loaded with about 12 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude, along with two chemical tankers, a vehicle carrier and a container ship.
The crude carriers had taken on oil in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in late February and early March. Most of the vessels are managed by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, which has said it would prioritize the safety of crews and ships when navigating Hormuz.
Another vessel, the VLCC Long Wind, exited the strait on July 4, according to South Korean refiner S-Oil. The ship was carrying about 2 million barrels of Saudi crude loaded in early March.
The departures are a sign that Gulf oil exports are gradually resuming after months of disruption, but industry officials say shipping patterns remain far from normal.
UK Maritime Trade Operations data released Sunday showed that 80 merchant vessels transited the Strait under U.S.-led escort during the 72-hour period from Thursday through Saturday. Before the conflict, the strait averaged about 138 ships per day.
The number of U.S.-coordinated transits also declined during the three-day period, falling from 33 ships on Thursday to 29 on Friday and 18 on Saturday.
In Lloyd’s List, editor-in-chief Richard Meade wrote Monday that the shipping industry still does not know what long-term traffic patterns through Hormuz will look like.
“Nobody yet knows what the new normal looks like,” Meade wrote.
He said the best-case scenario would be a continued gradual reopening of the strait, with shipping volumes recovering even as some inefficiencies remain.
“Such an outcome would avoid wider damage to the global economy,” Meade wrote.
He added that a larger question is “how much trade never fully returns to Hormuz” as exporters continue investing in alternative routes that avoid the narrow waterway.
Saudi Arabia has continued moving significant oil volumes through its East–West Pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The United Arab Emirates has also expanded exports through Fujairah, which sits outside the Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz remains open, but the British assessment shows that shippers are still operating in a cautious environment shaped by mine risks, Iranian military activity, escort coordination and uncertainty over whether Gulf trade will return to its pre-war flow.
Original article
Comments