All articles tagged with #shipping traffic
U.S. forces report open, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz with 55 merchant ships transiting and more than 17 million barrels of oil moving to global markets, as a Joint Maritime Information Center advisory confirms a designated route remains free of impediments and USCENTCOM vows continued vigilance to uphold the Iran-related agreement.
Iran says it will unveil a designated routing mechanism for Strait of Hormuz traffic, offering specialized paid services to commercial vessels and excluding operators tied to the US 'Project Freedom'; Tehran frames the move as ensuring international trade security, while the US contemplates reviving Freedom but has not decided.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a near standstill after Iran reversed its decision to reopen the vital waterway, with several vessels attacked and only a handful crossing in recent days, prompting shipping firms to pause navigation amid ongoing tensions.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below normal despite a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, with only about 15 ships entering or leaving since April 8, far short of the pre-crisis average. Iran’s IRGC has ordered vessels to pass through Iranian waters near Larak Island to avoid mines, creating restricted zones and raising risk for ships not authorized by Tehran. Hundreds of tankers are stuck in the Gulf, contributing to a surge in oil prices and a disruption of global supply; Western leaders oppose tolls on strait passage while the ceasefire condition called for reopening the strait.
Timelapse footage shows a fall in ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest oil shipping lane, since the US-military offensive began on February 28, threatening about 20% of global oil and gas flows.
The Port of Baltimore has opened a temporary channel for some stranded vessels following last week's bridge collapse, with recovery efforts ongoing to restore commercial shipping traffic. Limited ship traffic has resumed, and plans for additional temporary channels are in place. The complexity of dealing with the bridge wreckage and poor weather have delayed recovery efforts, with no specific timeline for a full reopening of the port provided. President Biden is set to visit Baltimore to observe recovery efforts, and the White House is working with Congress on a funding package for rebuilding the bridge.