At least 20 oil tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Iran began reopening the sea lane to commercial ship traffic. Trade intelligence firm Kpler tracked the movement and said tanker transits on Thursday hit their highest level since June 2.
According to CNBC, total ship traffic through the strait on Thursday reached 25 vessels, including cargo, container, and other vessel classes beyond tankers. Still, that number remains well below prewar levels, when more than 100 ships transited Hormuz daily.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance addressed the situation Thursday and told reporters that the Iranians so far "are honoring their end of the commitment." The arrangement includes a 60-day toll-free period during which Tehran is allowing ships to cross Hormuz without paying fees.
The U.S. Navy ended its blockade of Iran as part of the deal, which helped prompt the uptick in traffic. Kpler commodity research director Matt Smith described the flow as balanced. "Traffic was broadly balanced, with 13 crossings moving West to East and 12 moving East to West," Smith said.
Three supertankers from Saudi Arabia and one from the United Arab Emirates crossed Hormuz on Thursday, according to Kpler. These vessels, known as very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, can each haul up to 2 million barrels of oil. The scale of these ships makes their transit a significant signal for global crude supply.
Iranian supertankers also began reactivating their tracking systems. Kpler analysts noted in a Friday client note that Iranian supertankers had gone dark during the war and were now switching their transponders back on. Five Iranian supertankers loaded with oil were observed departing the region on Friday.
"Two-way vessel flows suggest Iranian crude trade is gradually returning closer to normal operating patterns," the Kpler analysts wrote.
Of the ships that crossed Thursday, 18 followed the route designated by Iran. Just one vessel used the route defined by the International Maritime Organization. The routes of six ships could not be confirmed.
The deal has left open questions about long-term governance of the strait. After the 60-day toll-free window closes, Iran will hold talks with Oman and the Gulf states on how to administer Hormuz. The deal terms leave open the possibility that tolls could be imposed after those negotiations conclude.
