Traffic flows in Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s closure announcement

Tankers and cargo vessels are seen in the Gulf of Oman, along shipping routes linking the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, June 16, 2026. (AP)
Tankers and cargo vessels are seen in the Gulf of Oman, along shipping routes linking the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, June 16, 2026. (AP)

Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has continued today to flow at a faster pace than before the agreement between Iran and the United States on talks to end the Middle East war, according to tracking firms, despite Tehran’s announcement of a renewed closure.

As of 1100 GMT today, the Kpler maritime tracking platform had already recorded 15 transits by commodity ships.

This is comparable to Thursday and Saturday, when traffic approached 30 transits per day.

At least five other ships, whose transit had not yet been confirmed by Kpler, also appeared to have passed through the strait, according to AIS signals published on the MarineTraffic platform.

The Strait of Hormuz reopened last week after Iran and the United States reached an agreement aimed at ending the war in the Middle East. But Tehran announced on Saturday that it had closed the strategic waterway again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Since then, Tehran and Washington have agreed on mechanisms to end the fighting in Lebanon and secure the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes.

Both agreed to establish a line of communication “to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the  Strait of Hormuz,” according to Qatari and Pakistani mediators.

“Despite uncertainty surrounding the US–Iran talks, the Strait of Hormuz remained operational over the weekend,” Nikos Pothitakis, press officer at Kpler, writes on X.

He adds that some ships have resumed sailing with their transponders turned off.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.