Although the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last month centered on resuming passage through the Strait of Hormuz, tensions continue in the strategic chokepoint for the world's crude oil transport. Some vessels have been spotted changing course or turning back, and cases of ships passing through the strait with their location signals turned off have been confirmed, leaving safety concerns unresolved.
According to Bloomberg on Friday, ship-tracking data confirmed that six oil and gas tankers moved along a route close to Oman's coast in the Strait of Hormuz that day. This is analyzed as an attempt to resume navigation after several vessels in the same waters had suddenly made U-turns or detoured the previous day.
A day earlier, at least eight vessels entered the strait to exit the Persian Gulf before changing direction. Of these, four were found to have subsequently headed north along a route on the Iranian coast side before passing through the strait.
There were also successive cases of ships temporarily switching off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) during navigation. Some vessels were confirmed to have passed through the strait at night with their location signals suspended, then reactivated their AIS afterward. Bloomberg reported the measure could be an attempt by shipping companies to avoid surveillance by the Iranian military.
The cautious mood is also revealed in figures compiled by ship-tracking firm Kpler. On the 4th, a total of 19 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in both directions, but only one vessel publicly signaled that it would use the Oman coast route. As more ships withhold their actual navigation information, it is difficult to accurately gauge the current volume of passage.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic maritime chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport passes. Iran has effectively restricted passage through the strait since military actions by the United States and Israel this year. Even after agreeing with the United States on normalizing passage on the 17th of last month, it has maintained its position that "safety can only be guaranteed by using routes approved by Iran."
Western nations have deployed warships to secure maritime safety, but risk factors are assessed as still remaining. Bloomberg reported that mines and other devices Iran previously installed around the strait remain potential threats, leading Western navies to also view the risk level as high.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a U.S.-led multinational civil-military joint body, also reported that the Iranian military continues surveillance and interference against civilian ships.
"A button that could shut down the entire world": The deadly secret hidden beneath the Strait of Hormuz
