Traffic slowed further at the other major Middle East waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait.A total of 27 commodity vessels passed through Bab el-Mandeb on Wednesday, down from 32 on Tuesday, Kpler data showed.Some vessels may be sailing through the waterways with their transponders turned off, which is not considered in the counts.
SINGAPORE: Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday was unchanged from the day before as discussions to end the war between the United States and Iran remained deadlocked, according to the latest shipping data.
Commodity vessel transits at Hormuz totalled nine on Wednesday, unchanged from Tuesday, shiptracking data from Kpler showed.
Transits remained low amid conflicting claims between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place and that the strait was open. Iran said the waterway remained shut.
Meanwhile, traffic slowed further at the other major Middle East waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
A total of 27 commodity vessels passed through Bab el-Mandeb on Wednesday, down from 32 on Tuesday, Kpler data showed.
Some vessels may be sailing through the waterways with their transponders turned off, which is not considered in the counts.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place with Iran and insisted the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting Iran’s assertion that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.
The receding prospects of a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict drove up oil prices again on Tuesday, while stock markets sagged and borrowing costs for major economies including the U.S. hit multi-decade highs, amid concerns about the long-term inflationary and fiscal impact of the crisis.
A temporary ceasefire agreement expired on Monday and a senior Iranian official told Reuters that his country was moving to a “fully offensive” military posture due to the diplomatic stalemate, though there were no reports of fresh strikes by either side on Tuesday.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he added.
On Monday, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, had struck an upbeat tone, saying talks with Iran were still under way and were “probably more robust” than they had ever been.
The nearly six-month conflict, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has settled into a standoff, with Iran continuing to threaten shipping in the strait and Washington saying it could renew attacks if talks do not yield a long-term settlement.
Among the top U.S. goals are preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but experts say that will be difficult without removing the enriched uranium believed to be buried at sites struck by the U.S. military previously.
SHIPPING DISRUPTED
Despite Trump’s assertions that the situation in the Gulf was improving, countries continued to report attempts to disrupt shipping.
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said that it detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, the first such incident reported since a May 4 strike on the Fujairah port.
It later reported that the missiles were targeting “maritime traffic” based on its assessments, according to a statement posted on X. It said both missiles fell into the sea.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the comments and said the UAE’s “accusations” were “baseless.”
The UAE Foreign Ministry said it had suspended all trade activities, exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, citing regional escalation that it said undermined regional and international peace and security.
Direct cargo shipping between the UAE and Iran had only resumed in late June via Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port. The UAE had suspended direct shipping in early March, just days after the war began.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while sailing out through the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty.
Reuters