Hormuz Shipping Tracking: Strait's Seven-Day Navigation Volume Reaches Post-War High, First French Vessel Passes Through

According to ship-tracking data compiled by industry sources, the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz rebounded over the past week; the seven-day rolling average number of ships passing through as of Friday reached the highest level since the outbreak of the Iran–U.S. conflict at the end of February.

As negotiations between countries and Iran proceed to ensure their ships can transit, more and more vessels are crossing the strait, including ships that have no clear affiliation with Iran. On Friday, even a French container ship and an liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier owned by a Japan-linked company were seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which appears to be the first time such transits have occurred since the Iran–U.S. war caused this critical waterway to be blocked.

Data show that from Friday morning local time through Friday evening into Saturday night, a total of 13 ships passed through the strait, with 10 sailing out of the Persian Gulf and 3 entering from the high seas.

Of course, while the recovery in strait traffic is encouraging, compared with the numbers before the war began on February 28, it still amounts only to a trickle. In normal times, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas must pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day.

Iran has taken steps to strengthen control over the waterway by setting up a tolling system and guiding most ships along specific routes close to its border. Over the past day, all recorded transit vessels passed through the narrow strait “North line” located between Larak Island and Qeshm Island.

The latest transiting vessels include a French container ship and an LPG transport vessel owned by Japan, which appears to be the first instance of this kind of transit since the war began. It is not yet clear whether these voyages are the result of diplomatic efforts or the result of negotiations involving shipping companies and intermediaries.

According to two people familiar with the matter, the French container ship named CMA CGM Kribi left the strait on Friday. This is the first known ship associated with Western Europe to pass through the strait since the war broke out more than a month ago. Before entering Iranian waters, the French vessel changed the destination information in its automatic identification system to “shipowner France,” signaling its nationality to Iranian authorities.

On the same day, French President Macron said that only diplomatic efforts—not military action—can clear the Strait of Hormuz.

Mitsui & Co., Japan’s commercial shipping firm, also confirmed on Friday that an LPG vessel of one of its affiliated companies had passed through the Strait of Hormuz before April 4 in Japan time. It is understood that this is the second Japan-linked vessel to leave the Gulf since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively blockaded, and also the first Japan LPG carrier.

Late on Friday night, Turkey also said that in recent days a Turkish ship had left the strait.

Iran’s “new transit mechanism” is emerging

Before this, most of the ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz came from Iran or countries friendly to Iran. Some countries such as Pakistan had reached bilateral agreements with Iran through negotiations on safe transit, and most ships were also observed traveling along the strait’s “North line” hugging Iran’s coastline; however recently, shipping conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have shown some interesting changes.

First, some vessels opened another route—along the Oman coastline. Caixin Finance reported on Friday that three vessels at the time appeared to be crossing the Strait of Hormuz’s “South line.”

Meanwhile, Iran is taking steps to consolidate its control of the strait in the long term, starting to establish a tolling system for this waterway, which is crucial to the world’s supply of oil and natural gas. This has shocked the Gulf Arab states that rely on exports through the waterway. Iran has said it is willing to co-manage a new system with Oman, but Oman has not yet made a clear statement.

According to people familiar with the matter, Iran has established a tiered mechanism for strait transit, divided into five tiers; the more friendly a country is to Iran, the more likely it is to receive more favorable terms. Under this emerging system, ship operators are required to contact intermediary institutions associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and provide sensitive data, including ship ownership details, crew lists, and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data.

The establishment of a strait transit mechanism jointly by Iran and Oman was not a sudden move. According to CCTV News, Oman’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr, posted on social media recently saying that Oman is stepping up related efforts to promote the establishment of a safe transit mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz.

（Source: Caixin Finance）