First ships pass through Strait of Hormuz since ceasefire

Two vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s agreement to reopen the route as part of a temporary ceasefire.

According to maritime tracking platform MarineTraffic, the Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier at 06:59 UTC after departing Bandar Abbas.

The movements come after Iran and the United States agreed to a two-week ceasefire, during which passage through the waterway would be allowed under coordination with Iran’s armed forces, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Ana Subasic, an analyst at Kpler, the parent company of MarineTraffic, cautioned that while the NJ Earth’s transit may indicate early activity, it is too soon to determine whether this signals a broader reopening of the strait or reflects previously approved exceptions. The vessel reportedly maintained its transponder signal while navigating through an Iranian-approved route near Larak Island, which has been used by ships crossing the strait in recent weeks.

Shipping industry reports indicate that operators are preparing to move vessels stranded in the Gulf, with estimates suggesting around 800 ships remain stuck due to earlier restrictions.

Access to the strait had been heavily limited by Iran in response to US and Israeli actions since late February, leading to a sharp decline in maritime traffic. Between March 1 and April 7, only 307 commodity carrier crossings were recorded, representing a 95 percent drop compared to normal levels.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, with roughly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through it during normal conditions.