Barely two days after Iran and the United States agreed on a temporary ceasefire, maritime traffic through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, remains paralyzed. On Wednesday morning, Iran's navy warned of mines in the Strait of Hormuz and said the main passage should be avoided.
Ten ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the deal was reached, according to tracking data from the shipping website MarineTraffic. One of the ships that passed through on Thursday was reportedly a Gabonese-flagged oil tanker. It is the first time an oil tanker from a country other than Iran has sailed freely through the strait since the start of the war.
The extent to which the strait has opened is, however, disputed. The Trump administration has claimed on several occasions that the waterway is either "open" or "will be open" - Iran, for its part, claims that traffic will be gradually allowed to pass. In addition, Israel's deadly attack on Lebanon has prompted the regime in Tehran to react, as it believes that the agreement with the United States also requires a ceasefire in Lebanon.
