Commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained subdued, with security risks persisting as Oman and Iran discussed a framework to restore safe navigation through the strategic waterway, according to maritime data as of Tuesday.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported one confirmed attack in the Strait of Hormuz in the latest 48-hour reporting period as of Tuesday, pegging regional threat levels at "severe."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continued activities including drone overflights and targeted surveillance of merchant ships.
The incidents underscore continued pressure on vessels transiting the strait, the UKMTO said.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at reduced levels with independent tracking
data indicated suppression with single-digit numbers transiting in both directions, the UKMTO said.
There was also the risk of mines, with a continued risk of drifting or uncharted mines in and near the Hormuz Traffic Separator Scheme, with mine danger areas still active.
MarineTraffic data released Monday showed an uptick in the previous week with 121 vessels crossing the Hormuz, logging a 2.5% increase from 118 the week prior.
The marine data platform said during the period, laden crossings fell 27% to 35 from 48 in the prior week, while ballast movements rose to 61. "Hormuz compliance exposure deteriorated as sanctioned crossings rose from 9 to 16, close to a doubling, with shadow fleet crossings broadly stable at 28," MarineTraffic said.
Traffic through the Southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb also remained below normal levels, although MarineTraffic data showed substantially higher crossing volumes than through Hormuz.
UKMTO reported no confirmed attack or disruption in the Southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb during the period. However, traffic in the waterway remained below normal levels, consistent with the security environment after the July 20 Houthi declaration.
"Dark transits fell for a second week, from 23 to 15, and laden crossings rose from 121 to 131, but sanctioned and shadow fleet crossings held flat at 74 combined, so visibility improved while the risk profile of the fleet did not," MarineTraffic data showed Monday for the previous week.
Meanwhile, Oman and Iran have agreed to work toward restoring safe navigation through the Hormuz, including the creation of a temporary joint navigational corridor and a project to clear mines in the Hormuz.
The two countries said that technical negotiations are expected to continue on a permanent navigational corridor and its future administration, as well as mechanisms for information sharing, traffic management and the provision of navigational and security services.
Technical negotiations will continue on a permanent navigational corridor and the future administration of the waterway, as well as arrangements for information-sharing, traffic management and the provision of navigational and security services.
The Hormuz, which connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, carrying a substantial share of global oil and gas shipments.
Oman and Iran also called for discussions involving other regional states bordering the Gulf, stressing the need to uphold international law and respect the sovereign rights of coastal states.
However, the two countries did not provide a timeline for establishing the temporary corridor or completing the mine-clearing project.
On Tuesday, President Trump said that the US Navy had removed or detonated all mines in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Iran that any attempt to lay new mines would trigger an immediate military response.
Trump said that the US was monitoring the Hormuz through the Space Force and claimed that Washington was watching "every square inch" of the strategic waterway.