Is Strait of Hormuz Open Again? Maybe, but Few Ships Are Using It.

As the cease-fire between the United States and Iran neared the 24-hour mark, it remained unclear on Wednesday when Iran might begin allowing vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the economically vital waterway brought to a near standstill by the war.

No oil or gas tankers have traversed the strait since the cease-fire was struck on Tuesday, according to data provided to The New York Times by Kpler, a global ship-tracking firm. Four bulk carriers — vessels that carry dry cargo — did make it through.

Iranian state media said on Wednesday afternoon that the strait was “fully closed,” and that some tankers had been turned away. That report came after semiofficial outlets, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, reported that traffic in the strait had again been halted, this time in response to a deadly wave of Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Since those reports, no vessels have appeared to cross the strait, according to Kpler’s data. The most recent vessel to cross the waterway — a cargo ship — was tracked in the middle of the strait around 10:45 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, according to the maritime data.

Nikos Pothitakis, a media relations manager for Kpler, said the traffic showed that whatever the official status of the strait, it was “pretty much closed.” It was unclear why a limited traffic pattern was being observed.

Iran’s official broadcaster has said that because of mines, vessels must coordinate with the Iranian navy and use designated routes to cross the waterway. After the cease-fire was announced Tuesday, Iran’s foreign minister said safe passage through the strait would be possible if coordinated with the military, and with consideration of “technical limitations.”

The sparse traffic could also reflect the lingering jitters of mariners and their insurers, who may be wary of resuming operations until they feel more confident that it is safe.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, added to the confusion.

Briefing reporters on Wednesday, she said news reports that the strait had been closed were “false.” Then she called for it to be reopened “immediately.” She would not answer repeated questions about who currently controlled the waterway.

After the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, Iran began shutting down the strait, laying mines and launching sporadic attacks on ships. The waterway carries a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and one-fifth of its gas.

On Wednesday, with the cease-fire in place, Kpler’s ship-tracking data appeared to support an Iranian state news report that a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker, the AUROURA, had been turned back. As it was transiting the strait, the data shows, the vessel changed course, making a 180-degree turn. Then it came to a halt.

by Pranav Baskar and Shirin Hakim, NY Times | Read more:
Image: Reuters

[ed. I can say with some experience that "lingering jitters" might be related to the cost of shipping insurance from places like Lloyds of London.]