After the end of the US/Israel-Iran war, commercial ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz rapidly recovered. On June 24, with 70 ships crossing the strait, the highest daily traffic since February 28 was recorded.
Before the war, an average of 130 ships crossed the strait daily; on February 28, when the war started, the number fell to 78, and in the following days it dropped to 90 percent below the pre-war level.
Revival After Agreement
With the 14-article agreement reached between the US and Iran on June 14, signed and entered into force on June 18, ship movements in the strait began to increase significantly. According to data from data analytics firm Kpler, daily ship crossings reached 70 as of June 24, the highest level seen since the start of the war. Ship traffic increased by over 100 percent compared to the previous day.
Supertankers, mainly departing from ports in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran, carrying at least 11 million barrels of crude oil, were among the ships crossing the strait on June 24.
First Western Shipment to Greece
The Greek-flagged tanker Prudent Warrior, which departed from the United Arab Emirates, is heading to Greece with approximately one million barrels of crude oil. While most ships using the Strait of Hormuz during the war headed to Asia and some African countries, this shipment became the first oil transport to a Western country after the war.
Additionally, two tankers carrying over 1.8 million barrels of dirty petroleum products from the UAE and another tanker loaded with 500,000 barrels of clean petroleum products from Kuwait also passed through the strait on the same day.
Other Cargo Ships Also Crossed
On June 24, not only oil tankers but also ships carrying dry cargo, LPG, grain, and fertilizer passed through the strait.
Before the war, nearly 20 million barrels of oil, including 15 million barrels of crude oil and 5 million barrels of petroleum products, were shipped daily through the Strait of Hormuz. Whether commercial activity in the region will return to normal will depend on the permanence of the ceasefire.
