A ship is seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz in Oman on April 8, 2026, after a two-week interim ceasefire was reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened.
Shadi JH Alasar | Anadolu | Getty Images
Ship tracking service Marine Traffic said Wednesday that the first ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the United States reached a two-week cease-fire agreement.
But more than 12 hours after the ceasefire, overall traffic through the vital waterway has not increased beyond the slow flow experienced during the war, experts and industry experts say.
In response to Israel’s attack on Lebanon, which undermined the fragile cease-fire agreement, all oil tanker traffic through the strait was halted, Iranian state news agency Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday morning.
The two vessels identified by MarineTraffic are described as bulk carriers carrying dry cargo rather than oil.
Despite Iran’s assurances on Tuesday that ships would be able to safely navigate the strait during the ceasefire period, uncertainty and disruption in the maritime industry remains high.
Part of the confusion is that Tehran has warned that crossing the strait is only possible through “coordination with the Iranian Armed Forces and due consideration of technical limitations.”
A key issue is the possibility of Iran imposing large fees on ships, one marine insurance executive, who did not want to be on the record, told CNBC.
Iran plans to require shipping companies to pay tolls in cryptocurrency for oil tankers crossing the strait, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday morning.
The FT reported, citing a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals Export Union, that Iran plans to inspect each vessel for weapons.
Meanwhile, shipping companies have generally maintained their holding stance.
“We have no information on how we can get through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire. We have not been able to contact Iranian authorities,” a shipping executive whose ships are currently stuck in the Persian Gulf told CNBC.
“The most important thing for us is the safety of our crew, and if we decide to transfer, we need absolute guarantees about their safety,” the executive said.
The MarineTraffic app on a smartphone shows numerous ship beacons near the Strait of Hormuz with a satellite view in the background, April 8, 2026 in Creteil, France.
Samuel Boivin | Null Photo | Getty Images
U.S. officials boasted that the cease-fire agreement meant a complete victory over Iran and insisted Wednesday morning that the ship’s path was clear.
“The Strait is open,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain was asked at the same briefing whether the straits were currently open, and he said, “Based on diplomatic negotiations, we believe so.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that night that the United States would “support increased traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.”
“We will see a lot of positive action! There will be a lot of money to be made. Iran will be able to start the rebuilding process,” he wrote. “We’re going to load up on all kinds of supplies and just ‘hang out’ to make sure everything goes well. I’m confident it will work out.”
The post marked a surprising reversal from President Trump, who had just days earlier threatened to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure unless the Iranian regime agreed to “open the Straits of Fucking.” On Tuesday morning, President Trump threatened that “the entire civilization will be destroyed” by Tuesday night if the United States and Iran cannot reach a deal that includes reopening the strait.
With less than two hours left until the deadline, President Trump announced a two-week halt to the planned attack “provided the Islamic Republic of Iran agrees to the full, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Marine Traffic reported in X-Post on Wednesday morning that two vessels, the Greek-owned New Jersey Earth and the Liberian-flagged Daytona Beach, passed through the strait overnight.
These movements of ships do not necessarily signal a breakthrough after the ceasefire.
Before the war, 100 to 120 commercial ships, mostly oil tankers, passed through the strait every day, according to Kpler data. Traffic has plummeted to just a few ships a day after Iran attacked commercial ships, effectively shutting down a major artery for 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Even before the armistice, the number of ships passing through the strait began to increase. About 72 ships sailed during the week from March 30 to April 5, according to Lloyd’s List data. It was the busiest week since the war broke out on February 28, but data showed traffic remained below 90% of normal levels.
According to Lloyd’s List, about 80% of these vessels were connected to Iran, and 13% were owned by China.
The MarineTraffic post notes that hundreds of ships have remained effectively stranded in the area since the war began.
Kepler oil analyst Matt Smith said traffic has not recovered since the ceasefire was announced.
“Given that Iran is still scrutinizing who will be sailing, we may only see 10 to 15 (vessels), which would be the same pace as the past few days,” Smith told CNBC.
Shipping giant Maersk praised the ceasefire and potential reopening of the strait in a statement, but said: “The information and details available remain very limited and we are working urgently to obtain further clarity.”
“While the ceasefire may create opportunities for passage, complete certainty at sea is not yet achieved and all potential conditions involved need to be understood,” the company said in a statement.
“We are taking a cautious approach at this time and have not made any changes to any specific services,” it added.
