Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply last week even as US President Donald Trump said the strategic waterway remained open and operating, according to an Associated Press report published on August 18.
The AP, citing shipping-data platform Kpler, reported that confirmed vessel crossings dropped 19.5 percent to 95. Only three crossings were recorded on Sunday. The vessels that did pass used the route designated by Iran, while no crossings were recorded through routes designated by Oman.
The figures come as Iran and Oman discuss arrangements for managing traffic through the passage. The AP reported that Iran has said the waterway will not reopen until the United States meets its conditions. The same report said a projectile hit a ship as it left the strait, adding to the pressure on commercial operators.
Axios separately reported on August 17 that Trump had again floated the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory. Axios also described an agreement involving Iran, Oman and the United States as being under discussion, with the terms not yet settled.
The phrase iran has lost significant control of the strait of hormuz is circulating in trend searches, but the current reports describe a contested passage with sharply reduced traffic rather than a confirmed change in legal control. The latest shipping figures and public statements leave the status of normal navigation unresolved.
