Reuters: Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic remains below 10-day average

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained below its 10-day average on September 23, according to preliminary shipping data.

Ten commodity vessels transited the strait, up from seven the previous day but below the 10-day moving average of about 17 vessels, Reuters reports.

Nine vessels entered the strait, including Supramax ships carrying metals, grain and other dry bulk cargoes, as well as an empty very large gas carrier. One Supramax vessel carrying fertiliser exited the waterway, the data showed as of 04:23 GMT on September 24.

The figures do not include vessels that may have crossed the strait with their transponders switched off to avoid detection.

Before the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February, about 125 large commercial vessels typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day. The waterway carried about 20% of the world's daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

Iran and the US remain far apart on how to end the war, although diplomacy must continue, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on September 23.

The official said Tehran was reviewing Washington's response to Iranian peace proposals, which prioritise lifting a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, 27 commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, compared with 24 a day earlier and a 10-day average of 26 vessels.

By Aghakazim Guliyev