Ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is showing signs of recovery after the United States and Iran reached an understanding to ease tensions that have been brewing for months.
The latest data shows that more and more commodity ships, including oil tankers, are returning to the strategic waterway after shipping activity declined due to the conflict in the Middle East.
According to data from maritime monitoring company Kpler, 25 commodity ships were recorded passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, while another 17 ships had passed through the route as of Wednesday evening.
While this number is still lower than the 38 ships recorded on Monday, it is still a significant increase compared to the period before the US and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding on June 14.
Since June 15, an average of 22 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day, compared to fewer than 10 ships per day during the closure and restrictions that began on March 1.
However, this figure is still far below normal conditions, where around 120 ships usually use the route each day.
To help speed up the evacuation of some 11,000 seafarers still stranded in the Gulf, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced new routes approved for ships.
The routes include areas near the coast of Oman for ships leaving the Gulf, as well as routes in Iranian waters for ships moving in both directions.
The restoration of traffic also involves giant oil tankers or Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) capable of carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil.
At the same time, the US also temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil exports until August.
The move is expected to help further increase energy trade flows and accelerate the restoration of shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the world's most important energy trade routes.
