Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz remained low on Monday while Iran demanded additional concessions from the US for the reopening of the narrow waterway, the date of which remains elusive.
Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz totaled 10 vessels on 10 August,split between seven inbound transits and three outbound transits, maritime security firm Windward said on Tuesday. These took place through the northern corridor with the exception of two vessels, one in either direction, that utilized the US-supported southern traffic lane. Total traffic through the strait on 10 August was at around 7pc of pre-war levels.
Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz edged up from a two-week low of seven crossings recorded on 9 August, according to Windward data.
"The strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the US ends the war and blockade, releases Iran's frozen assets, and agrees to a region-wide ceasefire, including in Lebanon and Gaza," secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said in remarks carried by IRGC-affiliated Tasnim. "Until all conditions are met, the strait will remain closed."
Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi was in Tehran and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, but no announcement was made regarding progress on reopening the strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said in an 11 August notice by the UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) that 42 vessels transited the strait of Hormuz between 9-10 August. That figure was not corroborated by vessel tracking and satellite information and could not be independently verified.
"Maritime traffic through the strait of Hormuz is expected to remain at reduced levels across both the northern Iranian-controlled route and the southern Omani corridor," UKMTO said in its notice, describing vessel transits as being in the "single digits".
Blockade enforcement continues
The US continued to enforce its retaliatory blockade against Iranian ports, while Iran maintained the removal of the blockade as one of the necessary preconditions for the reopening of the strait.
Centcom confirmed on 11 August that it disabled a cargo vessel, Vela Nova, attempting to violate the blockade imposed by the US on Iran, which was likely the "military forces" incident that the UKMTO announced earlier in the trading day.
"A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two hellfire missiles into the Vela Nova's engine room after the ship's civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces," Centcom posted on X on 11 August. Centcom has redirected 55 commercial vessels and disabled three others, including the Vela Nova. It also boarded two vessels to ensure compliance with the blockade.
