Ships remain cautious approaching Strait of Hormuz amid fragile ceasefire
Ships remain cautious approaching the Strait of Hormuz amid a fragile ceasefire agreed on Tuesday. The ceasefire included a condition that "safe passage" through the narrow waterway would be guaranteed. Vessels in the area have received messages that they would be "targeted and destroyed" if they attempted to cross the strait without permission.
The disruption since the conflict began five weeks ago has destabilised energy prices and exposed how reliant international supply chains are on the strait. By 14:00 BST on 9 April, only eleven ships (three tankers, one container ship and seven bulk carriers) had passed through the strait since the ceasefire. This is based on BBC Verify analysis of ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic. Before the conflict started on 28 February, 138 ships passed through the strait each day, on average. Lars Jensen from Vespucci Maritime told the BBC: "Most shipping lines would want to get details and reassurances on what it actually takes to transit and those details are not available."
If crossings do resume, Meade expects that stranded tankers that are fully loaded with cargo will be the first through. Meade said: "You've had nearly 800 ships stuck in there for several weeks. Most of them are now loaded with cargo, so the priority is going to be to get them out." The duration of the ceasefire - set to last two weeks - also brings uncertainty for ships, says Niels Rasmussen, a shipping analyst from BIMCO.
Quick Summary
Tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz- a vital shipping lane- despite a US-Iran ceasefire agreement. Vessels are proceeding with caution, and the disruption is sending shock waves- but how far will they reach?
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