On Wednesday, April 8, two ships were able to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the morning. These are the first ships to do so since the ceasefire announced the day before between Iran and the United States.
“The first signs of maritime activity are appearing in the Strait of Hormuz.” After the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Tuesday, April 7, the maritime tracking site MarineTraffic recorded the first passages through this strategic location, where 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas and crude oil pass through, the following morning.
“The bulk carrier NJ Earth, flying the Greek flag, crossed the strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Daytona Beach, flying the Liberian flag, crossed it later at 06:59 UTC, shortly after leaving Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC,” as reported by maritime experts.
Many sailors still waiting
According to the maritime journal Lloyd’s List, published since 1734, nearly 800 ships are currently blocked or waiting near the Strait of Hormuz, the main passage point to the Persian Gulf. Among them are 426 oil tankers, 34 natural gas carriers, and 19 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers, according to MarineTraffic data. The International Maritime Organization estimates up to 3,000 ships are affected by the conflict across the entire region, affecting nearly 20,000 civilian sailors, as reported by La Tribune.
Many of these ships are preparing to depart quickly to take advantage of the short ceasefire period between the two warring countries. Preparations are already underway on Wednesday by shipowners and charterers who have responded to Lloyd’s List’s calls.
