Strait of Hormuz Traffic Shows Signs of Uneven Recovery

The vessels, operated by Nippon Yusen KK and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, were stranded following the March 1 loading of their cargo. Their movement follows a broader, albeit fragile, uptick in activity that saw 12 million barrels of crude depart the Gulf on Monday aboard six separate tankers. Despite these gains, commercial transit remains suppressed at roughly one-third of the pre-war volume of 84 daily crossings.

Operational instability persists near the Omani coast, where at least eight oil and LNG carriers executed unexplained U-turns last weekend. While Saudi Arabia has successfully exported 34 million barrels since the mid-June ceasefire agreement, the waterway remains a high-risk zone. On July 4, four outbound tankers diverted their paths after receiving radio warnings from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, underscoring the volatility still governing the Strait.