admin US President Donald Trump said on Monday that many ships loaded with oil are starting to move out of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern ‘Highway,’ which is totally safe, secure, and pristine,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
Shippers in Asia and Europe said confidence in resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to rebuild and navigation will only restart once safety is assured, after the US and Iran agreed a framework deal to reopen the waterway.
US and Iranian officials are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to end their war and reopen the strait on Friday. Global oil prices fell about 5% on Monday in response.
There were no significant tanker crossings visible in vessel-tracking data on Monday, aside from one LNG carrier, however ships have been quietly moving barrels along Oman’s coast for weeks, sailing “dark” with US navy support.
The data, which captures only vessels actively transmitting their positions, showed dozens of tankers clustered on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.
Shippers welcomed news of the deal, but are waiting for more details, including on clearing mines.
“AIS data shows no wave of ships heading towards Hormuz this morning,” Jyske Bank analyst Haider Anjum said in a client note. “The shipping companies probably want to wait until it is clear that the agreement holds, as we have already had Hormuz ‘open’ for a very short time twice before,” he added.
Reuters
