Over 400 giant vessels are gathered outside the Strait of Hormuz, waiting and watching. The resumption of shipping still depends on the clarity of the US-Iran standoff.

BlockBeats News, June 22nd, according to shipping and satellite data monitoring, despite the partial lifting of restrictions in the United States and some commercial vessels tentatively resuming transit, over 400 large ships are still gathered for observation outside the Strait of Hormuz, with continued uncertainty in the global key crude oil transportation route.

European Space Agency Sentinel-1 radar satellite data shows that as of Sunday around 14:15 GMT, in the waters near Sohar, Oman, and Fujairah, UAE, a total of 441 large ships approaching the scale of oil tankers have gathered, further increasing from the early April conflict.

Shipping companies stated that the large-scale fleet pre-deployment is aimed at waiting to quickly restore transportation capacity after the strait is fully reopened, but actual passage remains highly restricted until the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on ceasefire and navigation mechanisms are finalized.

Satellite data indicates that the main channel of the strait was nearly stagnant on Sunday. Although Iran had previously agreed to open the waterway and remove mines, they announced a phased closure of the passage again after the regional situation escalated. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran continue negotiations in Switzerland on a "deconfliction mechanism" and maritime security arrangements. The U.S. stated that the discussions focus on ensuring the continuous opening of the strait and clarifying relevant navigation terms.

In terms of shipping activities, four Qatari liquefied natural gas carriers have passed through the strait on Monday, reaching a phased high since the escalation of the conflict at the end of February. In addition, some vessels have reactivated their transponders and publicly disclosed their positions, seen as a signal of marginal improvement in market risk expectations. Following the U.S.'s lifting of restrictions on some Iranian ports and vessels last week, Iranian oil tanker movements have also resumed, but overall shipping remains in a state of high uncertainty and low transit efficiency.