Hormuz Strait Traffic Continues After Projectile Attack on Singaporean Vessel

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued in both directions on Friday, even after an attack on a container ship caused some owners to reconsider plans to transit the vital energy waterway. The assault on the Ever Lovely on Thursday, the first incident since a temporary US-Iran peace deal was signed, led some owners and captains to delay or review plans to exit the Gulf. At least one Asia-based company reportedly told staff that vessels in the Gulf should remain in place while executives reassessed transit options. However, ship tracking data indicated the incident did not halt the gradual recovery of traffic through the strait. Two laden tankers were observed heading out of the Gulf on Friday, while four empty Very Large Crude Carriers were among vessels sailing inbound along the coast of Oman. The southern route is managed by Oman and coordinated by the United States. Outbound traffic along the Oman route included an Aframax tanker bound for India and a smaller tanker under US sanctions. A VLCC loaded with crude from the United Arab Emirates also entered the strait, along with a product tanker carrying cargo from the same exporter. In the opposite direction, an empty VLCC heading for Basrah, Iraq, entered the waterway, together with three other vessels linked to the UAE. An LNG carrier off Khor Fakkan also appeared to be attempting a strait transit. Several ships used the northern route near Iran, which is recognised by the International Maritime Organization, including a South Korean-flagged product tanker, another product tanker en route to Indonesia, and a bulk carrier. Control of Hormuz remains a point of friction between Washington and Tehran. The US insists Iran must keep the strait toll-free and prevent the imposition of charges on shipping to achieve a permanent peace agreement. Windward data showed that 62 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on 24 June, including 21 inbound and 41 outbound. Five dark transits were recorded, referring to ships moving with limited or no AIS visibility. Outbound traffic was concentrated in the southern corridor, with 26 of the 41 vessels using that route, while the northern corridor remained the primary lane for inbound traffic adjacent to Iran. The data also showed two 333-metre VLCCs leaving the southern corridor within a minute of each other, and a South Korean-flagged VLCC that had been detained in the Gulf since February finally departed, suggesting the backlog of Gulf traffic is beginning to ease.