First ships through Strait of Hormuz since ceasefire: monitor

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PARIS – Two ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran agreed to reopen the waterway as part of a ceasefire deal, maritime monitor Marine Traffic said on April 8.

“The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC (4.44pm Singapore time), while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after departing Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC”, MarineTraffic said on X.

The US and Iran agreed overnight from April 7 to April 8 to a two-week ceasefire, during which passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces”, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.

“NJ Earth’s transit may be an early sign of movement, but it is still too soon to tell whether this reflects a broader ceasefire-driven reopening or a previously approved exception”, analyst Ana Subasic at MarineTraffic’s owner Kpler told AFP.

The Greek-owned ship kept its transponder signal on as it transited the strait via an Iranian-approved route near Larak Island, used by most vessels crossing the waterway for the past three weeks.

AFP could not immediately confirm the ship’s destination.

“While we expect more crossings in the coming days, from a risk and compliance perspective this first transit should be read cautiously,” Ms Subasic added.

Some shipowners and charterers are preparing to move their vessels stuck in the Gulf, shipping journal Lloyd’s List reported on the morning of April 8. It estimates around 800 ships are currently stuck in the Gulf.

Access to the strait was severely restricted by Iran in retaliation against US and Israeli attacks since Feb 28.

From March 1 to April 7, commodities carriers have made 307 crossings, according to Kpler data, a 95 per cent decrease from peacetime traffic.

Around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through the waterway in peacetime. AFP