“Iran appears to be allowing a small but increasing number of commercial ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data.
Eight vessels, excluding those flying the Iranian flag, were detected in the key waterway on Monday using automatic identification systems, maritime intelligence firm Windward said on Tuesday.
The number of transits was nearly double compared to recent days, according to the company.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, an analyst at Windward, said more ships are being routed through Iran’s territorial waters, suggesting that access may be granted on a permission basis to certain countries.
‘Vessels linked to Western countries are less likely to enter Iranian waters voluntarily, while ships from countries such as China and India may continue to do so,’ Bockmann noted in a post on X.
MarineTraffic, another ship-tracking service, recorded nine transits on both Sunday and Monday, compared to five over the previous two days.”