Shipowners and operators prepared on Friday for what they hoped would be a widening window for them to exit the Persian Gulf after being stranded for more than three months, capping a week of head-spinning developments in the war in Iran.
At least 25 ships moved through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, including 14 tankers, higher than the average of recent weeks and a sign that some operators were feeling more confident, according to Kpler, a maritime data company. Traffic was still far below typical levels before the war, when about 130 vessels per day moved through the strait. Some large cargo vessels also started to leave.
A preliminary agreement signed by President Trump and President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran began a 60-day period of negotiations between the countries. Critically, Iran promised to reopen the strait, and on Thursday the U.S. military said it had lifted a blockade it had imposed on Iranian ships since April.
The deal confronted fresh questions on Friday after Switzerland said the next phase of talks had been postponed and Israel launched new strikes in Lebanon. Oil prices, after falling sharply this week, wavered.
For shipping companies, and the thousands of seafarers still stuck on vessels, a meaningful resumption of traffic in the Persian Gulf remained contingent on the resolution of a number of critical issues. About 500 commercial vessels remained stranded in the gulf. Most of the ships that passed through the strait on Thursday took the route that hugs the Iranian coastline.
With naval mines littered in the central part of the strait, some executives said they were waiting for clarity about the route ships should take, the rules for getting in line and a process for exiting to avoid navigational risks, including collision, particularly amid interference with GPS and other satellite-navigation systems.
There were also practical issues. After being at a standstill in the Persian Gulf for more than three months, barnacles and sea creatures were growing on the hulls of ships, impairing speed and presenting operational issues.
Significant security risks still exist, said Jakob Larsen, the chief security officer at the Baltic and International Maritime Council, or BIMCO, the world’s largest shipping association. He said he told the group’s 2,100 members that it was still risky for ships to start transiting.
“To avoid serious risks associated with an uncoordinated mass transit through the narrow inshore traffic zones, we encourage shipowners to consider waiting for further clarification and direction from the international coordination body,” Mr. Larsen said in a statement.
