Navigational data from the Marine Traffic platform showed that only 4 ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz since midnight on Sunday, April 26, 2026, Mecca time, an indication that movement continues at very limited levels within one of the most important sea lanes in the world.
The observed movement included one oil tanker, a general cargo ship, and two cargo ships, indicating the cautious calm and anxiety regarding the transit of more than 600 tankers in the Arabian Gulf.
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The data shows that the four ships are not subject to US sanctions, and no declared Iranian destinations appear in their statements, in a remarkable shift compared to yesterday, when 8 ships flying the Iranian flag or linked to Iranian ports passed through it.
According to the data, the “Deep Blue” tanker, flying the Panama flag, crossed from the Emirati port of Fujairah overlooking the Gulf of Oman to the Emirati port of Hamriyah overlooking the Gulf.
The general cargo ship “Sea Star Voyager”, also flying the Panama flag, also crossed the border, heading from the UAE to India.
The cargo ship “MSV LKM Khawaja Ka”, flying the flag of India, crossed the border, heading from the Emirates to the Sultanate of Oman, while the data showed that the “ship Al Ahmed”, flying the flag of the Comoros, and coming from Pakistan, did not announce its destination.
Thus, 3 out of 4 ships monitored today have left Emirati ports, while the fourth ship came from Pakistan. Data indicate that the four ships are not subject to sanctions, and no Iranian ports appear in their announced destinations, which makes the current transit movement limited and less linked to Iran compared to yesterday’s movement.
A review of previous track records reveals that two of the four ships have appeared within the Strait of Hormuz at least once since the beginning of the war.
Previous route data for the Deep Blue tanker showed its presence in the Strait on April 2, 2026, after leaving the UAE port of Hamriyah on April 1 and crossing towards the Omani coast, before entering the UAE port of Fujairah on April 20, then it appeared again within the current monitoring while crossing the Strait.
The log of the cargo ship MSV LKM Khawaja Ka also showed a previous transit near the Musandam Peninsula on February 28, 2026 after leaving the Omani port of Shinas, before it entered the UAE port of Hamriya on March 7, then reappeared in the current transit movement from the Emirates towards the Sultanate of Oman.
This limited return gives additional significance, as it indicates that some ships that had previously crossed the strait during the war period returned to move within it, but within a narrow and cautious scope.
On the 19th day of the armistice, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces continue to impose sanctions and implement the blockade on ships heading to or leaving Iran, noting that it has diverted 37 ships since the start of the blockade on Iranian ports.
She added that a US Navy helicopter intercepted a ship linked to what is known as the Iranian “shadow fleet” in the Arabian Sea, noting that this ship is one of 19 ships included in the US sanctions regime.
On the other hand, the Iranian News Agency reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will return to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, after the end of his visit to the Omani capital, Muscat.
