According to data from maritime intelligence firm Windward, only 12 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, a steep decline from 35 the previous day. Of the eight vessels entering the strait, five had turned off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). Windward described the current traffic situation as 'dark, sanctioned, Iran-related, resembling a blockade period more than an open, normally operating strait.'
Earlier, traffic through the strait had shown signs of recovery after U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Data from Kpler showed 25 ships passed through on Thursday, the highest level since mid-April.
However, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the strait on Saturday, citing 'crimes' by Israel in Lebanon and Washington's failure to maintain a ceasefire there. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denied that Iran had closed the strait, insisting safe passage remained 'intact,' with 55 commercial vessels transiting that day. The discrepancy between CENTCOM's numbers and those from commercial data providers remains unexplained.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators held decisive talks in Switzerland on Sunday, as the conflict in Lebanon threatened to derail efforts to turn a 60-day ceasefire into a permanent peace agreement. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the parties discussed ensuring safe passage for ships through the strait and 'a mechanism has been established, which is very important.'
Despite rising tensions between Washington and Tehran and signs of slowing traffic, oil prices fell on Monday morning in Asia. Brent crude, the main international benchmark, dropped about 0.9% to below $80 a barrel. Major Asian stock markets opened higher, with Tokyo's Nikkei 225 and Seoul's Kospi rising 1.8% and 1.5% respectively, while Taipei's Taiex gained 2.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.7%.
