Two commercial vessels made the first passages through the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, maritime monitor MarineTraffic confirmed, a modest sign of movement in a waterway that has been effectively paralysed for nearly six weeks.
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 the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC, MarineTraffic said on X.
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As per reports, the strait appeared to remain largely blocked on Wednesday. The total transits stood at approximately 135 a day last year.
Vessel movements resume in the Strait of Hormuz following ceasefire announcement
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) April 8, 2026
Early signs of vessel activity are emerging in the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire announcement, which includes a temporary reopening of the strategic waterway to allow for negotiations.… pic.twitter.com/CSy6PZlCJ4
More than 800 freighters remain stuck inside the Gulf, mostly waiting to leave.
Trump agreed to suspend the bombing of Iran for two weeks contingent on Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate and safe opening of the waterway.
In Tehran, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war and that it would negotiate with the US in Islamabad beginning Friday.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage would be possible only "via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces," and Tehran has maintained that ships can only transit between two Iranian islands and through Iranian territorial waters after obtaining official permission.
Under the current system, each vessel seeking clearance has been required to submit a formal request via the vessel's agent in Iran, along with documentation on ownership, management, financing, insurance and trading history, including proof of no US or Israeli affiliation, said reports.
The UN's International Maritime Organisation chief Arsenio Dominguez said he was "already working with the relevant parties to implement an appropriate mechanism to ensure the safe transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," adding that the priority is to "ensure an evacuation that guarantees the safety of navigation."
The two vessels that passed on Wednesday offered a sliver of hope. But with peace talks only set to begin in Islamabad on Friday, the world's most critical oil shipping lane remains, for now, open in name more than in practice.
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