Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted amid the war in Iran.
According to data provider Kpler, only three ships with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched on passed through the bottleneck in the Gulf on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said Iran allowed two liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers to pass through without incident. Two Indian-flagged gas tankers passed through earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied passage to the container ship Selen, flying the flag of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
According to the Tasnim news agency, Navy Commander Ali-Reza Tangrisi cited a lack of authorizations as the reason. He stated that use of the Strait of Hormuz is permitted only in consultation with the Iranian authorities.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz was fundamentally open – except to ships belonging to the “aggressors,” namely the US and Israel, as well as their supporters.
On Saturday, Araghchi had written on X that shipping companies were hesitant because insurers were shying away from the risk of war.
The waterway, which is central to international energy trade, is effectively blocked for much of the shipping industry.
Iran’s control, as well as warnings of mines, drone attacks and the withdrawal of war risk insurance, have made passage virtually impossible for Western shipping companies. Hundreds of tankers, container ships and freighters are stranded in the region.