Strait of Hormuz stirs back to life: 500 vessels stuck, 300 ready to sail — 20 million barrels a day await resumption of transit

After the US Iran ceasefire announcement, nearly 300 loaded tankers are ready to pass through the strait, with a similar number waiting in the Gulf of Oman. However, shipowners remain cautious: unblocking could release millions of barrels, but obstacles remain serious.

As reported by CCTV+, after the US and Iran announced a ceasefire agreement, the number of vessels waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz increased, but shipowners and operators remain cautious about security issues, according to a Bloomberg report published on Monday. Citing analysis from maritime analytics company Kpler, the report noted that of the hundreds of idle vessels in the Gulf region, nearly 300 are already loaded and ready to transit the strait, with a similar number waiting in the Gulf of Oman to return to major export terminals.

Theoretically, this could release millions of barrels of crude oil, but actual transit still faces numerous obstacles, including the need to remove marine growth from hulls and competition for passage rights in the narrow waterway. Brett Erickson, managing director of Obsidian Risk Advisors, said safety is the top priority for all shipowners. He added that the shipping industry, captains and sailors are highly attentive to the situation and understand that one mistake, one attack, or one political decision could seriously worsen it.

Before the war between the US, Israel and Iran began in late February, the average daily volume of oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz was 20 million barrels — about one fifth of the world's daily oil shipping volume. According to Kpler estimates, some 500 commercial vessels remain stuck in the Gulf after more than three months of conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes. Its blockade by Iran during the conflict caused a spike in energy prices. The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Pakistan, opens the way for unblocking, but the process is slow: vessels need hull cleaning, and queues form in the narrow strait.

When war recedes, the strait stirs. But not immediately. Five hundred vessels stuck in the Gulf — a frozen economy, millions of barrels that never reached buyers, tens of thousands of sailors waiting for the conflict to end. Now that the agreement is signed, tankers are ready to move, but caution prevails over haste. Shipowners remember: one missile, one mistake — and everything returns to square one. The Strait of Hormuz is not just water. It is an artery of the global economy. And its pulse is recovering slowly, but surely.