Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz experienced a slight uptick despite ongoing geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran. According to data released on Thursday, visible commodity vessel transits increased to 10 on Wednesday, up from eight the previous day, yet remained below the 10-day moving average of around 15 vessels.
Data from Kpler indicated that vessels entering the strait included two medium-range fuel tankers, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, a Panamax tanker, and three handymax-sized tankers. Exiting the strait were a medium-range fuel tanker, a bitumen tanker, and a bulk carrier.
On another front, talks between Iran and Oman regarding the waterway’s management are ongoing. A senior Iranian source reported that the countries are finalizing an agreement on sharing both the waterway and its associated revenue, as indicated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
In contrast, traffic at the Bab el-Mandeb waterway decreased for a second consecutive day, with only 19 commodity vessels transiting on Wednesday, down from 24 the previous day. Notably, six tankers, including a very large crude carrier, exited Bab el-Mandeb. Some vessels may not have been counted due to transponders being turned off.
