Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is increasing following a June 17 memorandum between the U.S. and Iran [2].

This recovery is critical because the narrow waterway between Oman’s Musandam Peninsula and Iran’s coast serves as a global chokepoint for oil and trade. While the communication line between the two nations has eased some restrictions, the backlog of vessels continues to threaten regional economic stability and the welfare of thousands of workers.

Despite the uptick in activity, the number of ships and crew members able to transit remains well below pre-war levels [2]. Approximately 11,000 seafarers are currently stranded on vessels awaiting evacuation [1]. A United Nations agency is coordinating efforts to move these workers from the stuck tankers.

Recent data indicates that 11 India-bound vessels have successfully crossed the strait since the June 17 deal [3]. However, 10 ships continue to await passage [3]. The disparity between the recovering traffic and the remaining backlog highlights the difficulty of clearing the wartime disruption.

Security concerns and clearance delays continue to impede the full reopening of the waterway. The U.S. and Iran governments have agreed to a line of communication to ensure safe passage, but the process remains slow. Some reports indicate that shipping has stalled again after Iran declared the waterway closed, though other data shows a general trend of increasing traffic [2].

Maritime experts said that easing the shipping backlog and reducing oil pressure may take weeks. The current situation leaves thousands of crew members in a state of limbo while diplomatic mechanisms attempt to resolve the security impasse.

“Approximately 11,000 seafarers are currently stranded on vessels awaiting evacuation.”

The partial recovery of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz signals a fragile diplomatic thaw between the U.S. and Iran. However, the continued stranding of 11,000 seafarers and the persistence of a vessel backlog suggest that operational security and trust have not yet returned to pre-war levels. The instability of the waterway's status—oscillating between recovery and sudden closures—indicates that global energy markets remain vulnerable to sudden geopolitical shifts.