Few ships through Hormuz – despite ceasefire

TT

Published 22.53

         

         Ships in the Persian Gulf are waiting for free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Archive image.           Photo: /AP/TT

One of the conditions for a ceasefire in Iran is that Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the parties reached an agreement, only about ten ships have been able to pass through the strait – and Iran warns of new dangers.

Barely two days after Iran and the US agreed on a temporary ceasefire in Iran, maritime traffic through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, is still paralyzed. On Wednesday morning, Iran's navy warned of mines in the Strait of Hormuz and that the main passage should be avoided.

Ten ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the agreement was reached, according to tracking data from the maritime traffic website MarineTraffic. One of the ships that passed on Thursday is said to be a Gabonese-flagged oil tanker. It is the first time that an oil tanker from a country other than Iran has sailed freely through the strait since the start of the war.

The extent to which the strait has opened is disputed, however. The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that the waterway is either “open” or “will be open” – Iran, for its part, claims that traffic will be gradually allowed to pass. In addition, Israel’s deadly attack on Lebanon has prompted the regime in Tehran to react, as it believes that the agreement with the US also requires a ceasefire in Lebanon.