At least eight oil and gas tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after Iran briefly signalled that the critical shipping route was open during an ongoing ceasefire in the Middle East conflict.
Later in the day, two merchant vessels reported being hit by gunfire while attempting to transit the strait, Reuters reported, citing three maritime security and shipping sources.
The developments came hours after Iran announced a renewed blockade of the strait, following a brief reopening during negotiations with the United States.
Maritime tracking data showed that the vessels which crossed the Strait of Hormuz, included crude oil tankers, liquified petroleum gas carriers, and oil and chemical tankers, news agency AFP reported.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquified natural gas flows during normal conditions.
However, shipping activity had slowed sharply since the conflict escalated on February 28, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Even as some vessels managed to transit the route on Saturday, broader traffic patterns remained uneven.
Data from MarineTraffic showed that several tankers approaching the strait had turned back near Iran’s Larak Island, which has been functioning as a checkpoint under Iranian control during the blockade.
