First vessel passes through Strait of Hormuz after Iran ceasefire

By Lawrence Agbo

The first vessels have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s agreement to reopen the strategic waterway as part of a ceasefire deal with the United States.

According to maritime monitoring service MarineTraffic, two ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, marking an early sign of resumed movement after weeks of disruption.

“The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after departing Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC”, MarineTraffic said on X.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, announced that passage through the strait would be permitted during a two-week ceasefire, subject to coordination with Iran’s armed forces.

Analysts, however, cautioned against reading too much into the initial crossings. Ana Subasic of Kpler noted that while the transit could signal a gradual reopening, it may also represent a previously approved exception rather than a full resumption of normal traffic.

The NJ Earth reportedly maintained its tracking signal and followed an إيران-approved route near Larak Island, a route used by vessels navigating the strait in recent weeks.

“NJ Earth’s transit may be an early sign of movement, but it is still too soon to tell whether this reflects a broader ceasefire-driven reopening or a previously approved exception”, Ana Subasic, analyst at MarineTraffic owner Kpler said.

“While we expect more crossings in the coming days, from a risk and compliance perspective this first transit should be read cautiously,” Subasic added.

Shipping activity in the region had been severely curtailed after Iran restricted access in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes, leading to a sharp decline in traffic. Data indicates crossings dropped by about 95 percent compared to normal levels.

With an estimated 800 vessels still stranded in the Gulf, industry observers expect more ships to begin moving in the coming days, although uncertainty remains over the stability of the ceasefire and the safety of the route.