Few ships pass Hormuz despite US efforts to break Iran's hold

Only four commercial vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, according to shipping data, as maritime traffic through the key waterway remains near a standstill despite US efforts to reopen it.

What happened: Just four commercial vessels were recorded transiting the strait in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. GMT (4 a.m. EDT) on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reported, citing ship-tracking data.

According to Kpler data, the four vessels included the container ship Muara, which has reportedly arrived at Jebel Ali port in the UAE, and the limestone carrier Aurora, currently en route to Umm Qasr in Iraq. The others were the LPG tanker Nooh Gas, bound for Khor Fakkan in the UAE, and the general cargo ship Parasargad 11, listed as heading to Port Rashid in Dubai.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the vessels were escorted by US naval forces.

Why it matters: Traffic through the chokepoint, which borders Iran and the United Arab Emirates and provides maritime access to key Gulf producers, has collapsed since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Before the conflict, roughly 130 to 140 vessels transited the strait daily, carrying about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Iran has responded to the attacks with missile strikes targeting Israel, US assets and regional infrastructure, while its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively throttled shipping through the strait and warned that vessels may be required to pay transit fees. On April 13, the US Navy imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, further complicating navigation in the waterway.

Washington is now attempting to restore commercial traffic through its new naval escort initiative “Project Freedom,” launched Monday. The operation involves US warships, aircraft and around 15,000 personnel tasked with securing passage for merchant vessels.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed in a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday that Iran no longer controls the Strait.

“We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact. They said they control the strait. They do not,” Hegseth said, adding that “hundreds” of ships are now lining up to pass through the waterway.

Meanwhile, a top Iranian military commander, Ali Abdollahi, warned “all commercial ships and oil tankers to refrain from any attempt to transit without coordination with the armed forces,” Iranian state media reported on Monday.

Know more: On Monday, Danish container shipping giant Maersk said in a statement that one of its ships, the Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged vehicle carrier operated by its Farrell Lines, managed to exit the Gulf via the strait, accompanied by US military assets. 

The company said that the journey was completed without incident.