live U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain

U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, 17 August 2026
Reuters

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.

⦿ 02:57 GMT | UPDATE

Hormuz shipping traffic remains unchanged as U.S.-Iran talks stall

Reuters

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz showed no increase on Wednesday as diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran remained deadlocked.

Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler showed nine commodity vessel transits through the strategic waterway, unchanged from the previous day.

The slow traffic comes amid conflicting claims between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place and that the strait was open. Iran said the waterway remained shut.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a key global energy route, and uncertainty over the conflict continues to weigh on shipping activity and market expectations.

Meanwhile, traffic slowed further at the other major Middle East waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

A total of 27 commodity vessels passed through it on Wednesday, down from 32 on Tuesday, Kpler data showed.

Some vessels may be sailing through the waterways with their transponders turned off, which is not considered in the counts.

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