Hormuz shipping activity slows after U.S.-Iran negotiations fail to materialise

VESSEL movements through the Strait of Hormuz have slowed sharply after an initial surge of tanker traffic, as uncertainty returned following the collapse of planned negotiations between the United States and Iran.

Data compiled by Bloomberg from vessel-tracking services showed that by Friday morning, no tanker had departed the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. The development came just a day after a wave of ships exited the waterway when it briefly reopened.

Traffic heading into the Gulf was also limited. Available tracking information indicated that only two vessels completed inbound crossings on Friday, a Norway-flagged products tanker and an LPG carrier linked to Iran. The figures exclude ships that switched off their tracking systems.

READ ALSO: First LNG tanker breaks through Strait of Hormuz after months of disruption

The subdued activity contrasts with Thursday’s developments, when dozens of vessels sailed out of the Gulf following the reopening of the strategic chokepoint. According to maritime intelligence company Windward, 18 vessel transits were recorded between June 17 and June 18, representing the highest movement level seen during the conflict period.

Among the vessels that departed were ships connected to Chinese, European, Japanese and Saudi interests. Windward also reported that three Saudi-flagged supertankers carrying about 6 million barrels of crude oil crossed the Strait without transmitting tracking signals shortly after the signing of the U.S.-Iran agreement.

The firm further noted that tankers loaded with an estimated 80 million barrels of crude were preparing to transit the Strait of Hormuz, raising expectations of a broader resumption of oil shipments.

Those expectations were undermined when planned talks between Washington and Tehran failed to get underway. Negotiations had been scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Friday, following a memorandum of understanding that initiated a 60-day framework for reaching a more comprehensive agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed suggestions that Washington was seeking negotiations from a position of weakness. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 daysThey get no money, not ten cents!”

Although the agreement had initially fuelled hopes that disruptions to Middle East oil supplies might soon ease, major shipping companies remain cautious about immediately restoring normal operations through the Strait.

Speaking recently to the Financial Times, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsui OSK Lines, world’s largest tanker operator, Jotaro Tamura, said a full return of shipping confidence would likely take time. According to him, the industry may need several weeks, or potentially up to a month, before operators feel comfortable resuming regular passage through the waterway.