Hormuz shipping unchanged amid US-Iran stalemate

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained unchanged on Wednesday, according to the latest shipping data. Nine vessel transits were recorded, the same as the previous day, as discussions aimed at ending the conflict between the United States and Iran continued without any progress. The transits were influenced by conflicting claims made by both nations. US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that no talks were happening and that the strait was open, while Iran maintained that the waterway was still closed.

In contrast, traffic at another critical Middle Eastern waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait, experienced a decline. A total of 27 commodity vessels passed through the strait on Wednesday, a decrease from the 32 vessels that navigated it on Tuesday, as per Kpler data. The discrepancy in vessel counts at both straits may be due to some ships sailing through with their transponders turned off, a factor not considered in the shipping data.