Strait of Hormuz reopening gradually as tanker traffic resumes after US-Iran deal

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is showing early signs of recovery following the US-Iran framework agreement, with at least a dozen tankers crossing, exiting, or returning through the strategic waterway in recent days . According to data analytics company Kpler, three Saudi oil supertankers—Awtad, Jaham, and Shaden—reappeared outside the strait on Thursday after last being spotted in the Gulf two months ago. Awtad, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude, exited the Gulf en route to South Korea, while the Iranian products tanker Viraj also passed through, heading toward the United Arab Emirates.

LNG traffic resumes

In a significant development, Qatar brought an empty liquefied natural gas tanker back into the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war began, signaling that the key LNG producer is preparing to ramp up exports . The Al Hamla, owned by Qatar's state-owned shipping company, appeared at the Ras Laffan export plant on Thursday. The Malta-flagged LNG tanker Disha crossed Hormuz earlier in the week after loading in Qatar, while the French-flagged LNG carrier Mraikh also moved through the strait from the Persian Gulf on Thursday .

Cautious recovery

Shipping through the strait had been sharply disrupted since the US/Israel-Iran war began on Feb. 28, with daily traffic falling by more than 90% . Before the conflict, an average of around 130 ships passed through daily, but that figure dropped to about 10 vessels per day during the 100 days of war. Under the 14-point framework, Iran is expected to ensure commercial vessels can pass safely and free of charge for 60 days while negotiations continue. However, many vessels are still transiting with their automatic identification systems switched off or following Iranian-designated routes, making full traffic levels difficult to verify .