Data from the trade intelligence firm Kpler shows that at least 20 tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Iran restarted commercial shipping in the waterway.
The agency noted that Thursday's tanker traffic reached the highest single-day level since June 2nd, although the scale of shipping has not yet returned to pre-conflict levels. Before the conflict, over 100 vessels, including dozens of tankers, transited the Strait of Hormuz daily.
According to Kpler's statistics, a total of 25 vessels navigated the strait on Thursday, encompassing various ship types such as bulk carriers and container ships in addition to tankers. Shipping volumes in the channel have been steadily recovering since the US Navy lifted its maritime blockade on Iran and Iran permitted vessels to transit the strait free of charge for the next 60 days.
US Vice President JD Vance stated to media on Thursday that Iran is currently "continuing to fulfill its commitments."
Matt Smith, Director of Commodity Research at Kpler, said: "Maritime traffic through the strait was largely balanced in both directions, with 13 vessels heading westbound and 12 vessels heading eastbound."
The data indicates that on Thursday, three Saudi Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and one UAE VLCC passed through the Strait of Hormuz. These supertankers can carry a maximum of 2 million barrels of crude oil per voyage.
In a client research note issued on Friday, Kpler analysts mentioned that Iranian tankers which had switched off their location transponders during the conflict are now gradually reactivating the devices. Monitoring data shows that five Iranian VLCCs loaded with crude oil departed the region on Friday.
The analysts stated: "Bidirectional vessel flow data through the strait suggests that Iranian crude oil trade is progressively returning to a normalized operational rhythm."
Kpler reported that among the vessels transiting on Thursday, 18 chose the shipping route designated by Iran for the strait, only one vessel used the route prescribed by the International Maritime Organization, and the sailing paths of six other vessels could not yet be verified.
The US-Iran agreement has shifted market focus towards the future management model for the Strait of Hormuz. According to the agreement's terms, after the 60-day free transit period concludes, Iran will consult with Oman and Gulf states on strait management rules, indicating the future possibility of Iran imposing transit fees on passing vessels.
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