Most Strait of Hormuz shipping at a standstill despite latest US pledge

OSLO – There were no signs of increased vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, a day after US President Donald Trump said that the US would begin efforts to free up shipping.

Only one tanker, a sanctioned, handy-sized liquefied petroleum gas carrier, along with a few cargo ships and a cable-laying vessel passed into the Gulf of Oman on May 4, MarineTraffic data showed.

No tankers or other commercial vessels were seen lining up to transit, and German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said that transit for its vessels remained impossible due to a lack of clarity over secure passage procedures.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it would begin helping to restore freedom of navigation through the strait on May 4, while continuing its blockade of Iranian ports.

The shipping industry has received no guidance regarding the US operation and its intent, while the overall security situation remained unchanged, shipping association the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) said.

“Without consent from Iran to let commercial ships transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed,” its chief safety and security officer Jakob Larsen said. BIMCO provides security alerts for the industry.

Hundreds of commercial vessels and up to 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the waterway as a result of the Iran war, the International Maritime Organization said.

The US-led Joint Maritime Information Center said that the maritime security threat level in the strait remained “critical”, advising mariners to consider routing via Omani territorial waters south of the traffic separation scheme.

CENTCOM described US missions as “defensive” and said they would combine diplomatic efforts with military coordination.

Iran, meanwhile, warned the US Navy to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz and said commercial vessels would need to coordinate any passage with its military. It also issued a new map outlining what it said was Iran’s control area.

Pakistan said that all 22 crew members of the Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by US forces in April, were evacuated to Pakistan and would be returned home.

The vessel will also be returned to its owners after repairs, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said, calling the move a “confidence-building measure”.

The US naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports on April 13 has also shrunk Tehran’s oil exports. REUTERS