Greek and Liberian Ships Pass Through Strait of Hormuz During US-Iran Ceasefire

Greek and Liberian ships became the first two vessels to successfully pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States (US). Iran has agreed to the point of reopening the Strait of Hormuz as outlined in that ceasefire agreement. “The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach passed earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after departing from Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC,” MarineTraffic stated on X, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (8/4/2026). The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, during which travel through the Strait of Hormuz “will be possible through coordination with the Iranian Armed Forces,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on X. “The transit of NJ Earth may be an early sign of movement, but it is still too early to say whether this reflects a broader reopening driven by the ceasefire or a previously approved exception,” Ana Subasic, an analyst at Kpler, the owner of MarineTraffic, told AFP. The Greek-owned vessel kept its transponder signal active while crossing the strait via the route approved by Iran near Larak Island, which has been used by most ships traversing the waterway over the past three weeks. AFP could not immediately confirm the destination of the vessel. “Although we expect there to be more crossings in the coming days, from a risk and compliance perspective, this first transit should be read with caution,” Subasic added. Several ship owners and charterers are preparing to move their vessels stranded in the Gulf, according to a report in the shipping journal Lloyd’s List on Wednesday morning (8/4). It is estimated that around 800 ships are currently stranded in the Gulf. Access to the strait has been severely restricted by Iran in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks since 28 February.