Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic falls to six vessels as US-Iran peace deal hopes fade

Published Aug 11, 05:23 AM UTC

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to just six vessels, compared to a 10-day average of about 11, as hopes for a US-Iran peace deal fade. Data from Kpler on Tuesday showed four commodity vessels, including two empty oil product tankers, entered the waterway, while two vessels exited. In pre-war days, about 130-140 ships typically transited the strait. Meanwhile, 25 vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait, broadly unchanged. US President Donald Trump responded to Iran's conditions for a deal by demanding Iran pay compensation for people killed in wars, attacks, and protests. This came after Tehran demanded compensation and an end to sanctions, largely in line with a preliminary peace deal signed in June that has since broken down. The war began in February, and Trump has repeatedly swung between threats of escalation and assertions that a peace deal is close.