The number of ships passing through Hormuz increased sharply after the US and Iran signed the agreement

“On June 18, we observed 25 commercial ships confirmed passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the most in a day since April 18 and more than 5 times the average for the first 10 days of June,” maritime data platform AXSMarine said today.

According to AXSMarine, the actual number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz may be higher, because some vehicles have turned off or adjusted the signal from the automatic identification system (AIS) to avoid revealing their location.

The spike took place after Iran on June 18 signed a 14-point memorandum aimed at ending the conflict with the US, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The Persian Gulf Strait Administration (PGSA), a new organization established by Iran to monitor the Strait of Hormuz, today said Iran will not collect tolls for ships passing through Hormuz for 60 days, in accordance with the memorandum. However, PGSA requires ships to submit travel proposals to the agency 48 hours before arriving at the strait and follow the provided route to ensure safety.

Chairman of the National Assembly and head of the Iranian negotiating delegation Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf previously affirmed that “the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state”. He announced that the country will collect fees for ships passing through Hormuz after a period of 60 days.

Before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, ships could pass through Hormuz freely without any fees or conditions. Iran then declared a blockade, seeking to impose control over the strait in response. This development caused ship traffic to decrease by 90% compared to 120 ships a day before the war, according to maritime magazine. Lloyd’s List.

Although the US-Iran peace talks show positive signs, many shipping industry organizations still call for caution, saying it is not safe enough for cargo ships to start leaving the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Jakob Larsen, security director of BIMCO, the world’s leading maritime lobby, said they “expect the parties to soon establish an international coordination mechanism to support transits”.

Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez announced in April that the agency was developing a plan to ensure safe passage for ships stuck in the Persian Gulf due to conflict.

According to IMO, there are still more than 500 commercial ships stuck in the Persian Gulf with about 11,000 sailors on board. The agency also said a total of about 20,000 sailors working in the area were affected by the conflict.