Hundreds of ships remain anchored in Strait of Hormuz

Passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted more than a day after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week truce with Iran.

Large groups of vessels continue to remain at anchor in the Persian Gulf, according to CNN, citing MarineTraffic data on the morning of April 9.

The previous day, the region hosted over 400 tankers, 34 LNG tankers, and 19 gas carriers.

Since the truce was declared, only a few vessels have passed through the strait, including the Greek bulker NJ Earth and the Liberian-flagged bulker Daytona Beach.

Before the conflict, an average of 107 cargo ships transited the strait daily, according to Lloyd’s List.

Experts warn that a full resumption of shipping is not imminent.

“This is very much a watch and wait situation. It can’t be a complete rush to the exits. Each ship needs to get special dispensation to transit the strait,” said Simon Kay, global director of reinsurance at NorthStandard.

He added that questions remain over which vessels should be given priority — ships from Gulf states, US naval vessels, or those using routes via Tehran.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov