Gulf shipping traffic via Strait of Hormuz falls to 6 vessels

The flow of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted to just six vessels, according to the latest data, down from an average of around 11 vessels over a 10-day period. This drop comes as hopes for a peace agreement between the US and Iran remain slim. Four ships, including two empty oil product tankers, entered the strait, while two vessels, comprising a liquefied petroleum gas tanker and a residual fuels carrier, exited.

Prior to the conflict, an average of 130 to 140 ships typically passed through the strait. On Monday, 25 vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea, a figure that has remained relatively constant compared to the recent 10-day average of nearly 24 ships. In a bid to address Iran's demands for a peace deal, US President Donald Trump outlined his own conditions, which include Iran compensating for casualties from wars, attacks, and protests, along with an end to sanctions.

Tehran's demands largely align with a preliminary peace deal signed in June, but this agreement has since fallen apart. Since the start of the war in February, Trump has oscillated between escalating tensions and claiming that a peace deal is imminent.