Hormuz traffic declines as prospects for U.S.-Iran deal weaken

August 12 ------ Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on 10 August, with just six vessels transiting the waterway compared with a 10-day average of about 11, as hopes for a renewed peace deal between the United States and Iran faded.

Four commodity vessels entered the strait, including two empty oil product tankers, according to Reuters citing Kpler data. Two vessels exited the waterway, a small tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas and another laden with residual fuel. The decline marks a sharp departure from pre-war traffic levels, when around 130 to 140 vessels typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day.

Furthermore, traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, by contrast, remained broadly stable. Twenty-five vessels transited the Red Sea strait on 10 August, compared with a 10-day average of nearly 24, Kpler data showed.

The latest slowdown in Hormuz traffic comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran face renewed uncertainty. U.S. President Donald Trump responded to Iranian conditions for a peace agreement by calling for Iran to pay compensation for people killed in wars, attacks and protests.

The proposal followed demands from Tehran for compensation and an end to sanctions. Iran’s conditions largely reflected the terms of a preliminary peace agreement signed in June, but the deal has since collapsed.

Source: safety4sea.com