The first oil tankers cross the Iranian Strait after the ceasefire announced by Donald Trump. After seeing drastic drops in boat traffic of up to 97% following the start of the war in the Middle East, the movement began to cautiously resume this Wednesday after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week truce that
“The first are observed after the announcement of the ceasefire, which includes the temporary reopening of this strategic sea route to facilitate negotiations,” the maritime monitoring platform said in a statement published this Wednesday. MarineTraffic.
According to company data, “hundreds of ships” are in the waters of the Persian Gulf, including 426 oil tankers, 36 transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and another 19 liquefied natural gas (LNG), of which many “were practically stranded” during the interruption in Hormuz began on February 28.
Record of first movements
MarineTraffic points out that “the first movements are already being recorded” after the Daytona Beachwith the flag of Liberia, will cross Hormuz at 06:59 GMT (07:59 in mainland Spain) after setting sail from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas an hour and a half earlier, while the bulk carrier NJ EarthGreek-owned, did so at 8:44 GMT (09:44).
This comes after the Government of Iran stated that “safe passage” along the route will be possible during the two-week ceasefire reached with the United States and announced by US President Donald Trump, during which both sides They will negotiate an agreement in talks that will begin on Friday in Islamabad (Pakistan).
The reopening of Hormuz has been a demand from the international community and, especially, from Trump, who has repeatedly threatened his power plants and bridges if he did not reopen the strait. He even asserted that the entire country could be “annihilated in a single night” and that it would return to “the Stone Age.”
According to the platform Hormuz Strait Monitora total of 10 vessels have transited this strategic route in the last 24 hours, while 7 are doing so at the moment.
Impact
Before the start of the war, 20-25% of the total volume of maritime oil trade transited through Hormuz, i.e. more than 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and derivativesaccording to data from the UN agency for Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
20% of the world’s LNG, 29% of LPG and 13% of chemical products were also marketed, while
This has had devastating repercussions, since more than 80% of the crude oil and LNG that passes through the strait is destined for Asian markets, while Europe depends 35% on the products that transit through Hormuz. As a result, crude oil prices have skyrocketed, threatening a global energy crisis.
Furthermore, according to the British Maritime Trade Operations Agency (UKMTO), since the start of the war on February 28 until yesterday, April 7, there have been 17 attacks on vessels in Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, as well as 11 “suspicious activities.”
A gradual return
As the agency points out Efethe disruptions have been enormous: if before the war between 120-140 ships transited daily, the month of March registered only between 4 and 6 ships, according to the Port Watch platform, of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the University of Oxford.
“It is very unlikely that it will be achieved again considering the delay in verification processes, insurance limitations and the reluctance of operators,” maritime trade expert Daejin Lee said on his LinkedIn this Wednesday.
These two weeks of ceasefire, according to the analyst specialized in Hormuz, create “a significant opportunity” for, although he warned that the magnitude of the delay is “considerable”since more than 1,000 transoceanic vessels are trapped in the Persian Gulf, a figure that rises to 3,000 if those of regional tonnage are included.
In addition, he recalled that security concerns among operators and shipping companies still persist, something that could slow down “the initial response.” “It is likely that many top-tier shipowners will wait several days – or even longer – to confirm that the ceasefire holds before committing ships and crews. This is rational risk management, not excessive caution,” he said.
