Iran has begun permitting a limited but increasing number of commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime tracking data.
Data from Windward indicated that eight non-Iranian ships were detected transiting the waterway on Monday via automatic identification systems. This figure was described as nearly double the levels recorded in the preceding days.
A Windward analyst, Michelle Wiese Bockmann, suggested that more vessels are now navigating through Iranian territorial waters, which she interpreted as a sign that Tehran may be allowing controlled or permission-based passage for certain friendly nations. She also indicated that vessels linked to Western countries are unlikely to take such routes voluntarily, whereas ships from countries like China and India may be more willing to do so.
Separate tracking data from MarineTraffic showed nine vessel transits over Sunday and Monday, compared with only five during the previous two days, Al Jazeera reported.
Traffic through the strait — a vital global oil corridor that typically handles about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply — has reportedly fallen by more than 95 per cent since the outbreak of conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Daily movements of non-Iranian ships, largely from China, India, and Pakistan, have dropped to single digits amid heightened security concerns and Iranian warnings directed at maritime activity.
The sharp reduction in shipping has contributed to oil prices climbing above $100 per barrel, marking an increase of over 40 per cent compared to levels before the conflict began.
Iranian officials have conveyed mixed signals about access to the strait. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying that the passage remains open but not for adversaries, while earlier statements from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had warned that vessels attempting to cross could face attack.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump indicated that the United States could manage the situation independently without assistance from other nations. He also criticised NATO allies for declining his proposal to form a multinational naval coalition to secure the waterway.