Strait of Hormuz traffic remains limited amid uncertainty over US-Iran ceasefire

Commercial shipping traffic remained limited around the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning, according to vessel-monitoring data reviewed by Anadolu, as uncertainty persisted over a potential US-Iran ceasefire arrangement.

Five vessels were listed moving from the Arabian Gulf toward the Gulf of Oman, while six others were tracked in the opposite direction in the last 24 hours as of 0900GMT.

West-to-east movements included the bulk carrier Ascanio bound for Shinas (Oman), the Panama-flagged tanker LPG Sevan heading to Sharjah (UAE), the bulk carrier LB Energy sailing toward Santos (Brazil), the crude oil tanker Atlantis II bound for Ras Al Kuh (Iran), and Nezami Ganjavi 6, which was listed near Khor Fakkan anchorage (Iran).

Movements in the opposite direction included Harapan Perdana IX, Polaris bound for Hamriyah Free Zone Port (UAE), the Bahamas-flagged oil and chemical tanker Musik heading to Sharjah (UAE), the general cargo ship Jin Zeng 5 sailing toward Mukalla (southeastern Yemen), Arad 10 listed with Bandar Charak (Iran) as its destination, and Epaminondas, which was shown near Mundra (India).

Separately, some of the vessels appear in sanctions-related databases. VesselFinder identifies Atlantis II as subject to US OFAC sanctions, while Danish Maritime Authority records showed Nizami Ganjavi as an EU-sanctioned vessel.

Most of the vessels named were marked as in transit, while some were listed as anchored or without a defined navigation status.

On Wednesday, Iranian forces said the vessels were attempting to exit the strait "covertly" and were intercepted based on intelligence monitoring.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that the US forces have directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports.

CENTCOM also said it intercepted two Iranian oil supertankers, Hedy and Hero II, that tried to evade its blockade.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran to allow time for Tehran to prepare a "unified proposal," following a request from Pakistani officials.

The diplomatic push by Islamabad is aimed at paving the way for a second round of US-Iran talks expected to take place soon in the Pakistani capital.