before the war. The strait, through which a fifth of global hydrocarbon exports and other essential raw materials pass, remains far below normal capacity. Following the overnight Sunday agreement between Iran and the US, Kpler data shows eight ships carrying raw materials transited on Monday and six on Tuesday. In a notable sign of easing tensions, several oil tankers in Iran's shadow fleet — which had kept their transponders switched off for months to evade maritime surveillance — reactivated them on Tuesday and Wednesday. Vessels including The Amber, Diona, Sonia I, Starla, Tour 2, and Hero II have resumed transmitting AIS signals from the Iranian port of Chabahar, about 500 km east of the strait. The near-simultaneous reactivation suggests coordinated action by operators, according to MarineTraffic.

A memorandum of understanding is set to be signed in Switzerland on Friday, which would end the war in the Middle East and formally reopen the strait as a first step. President Trump has announced a full reopening. However, Tehran claims the US blockade has been lifted, though Washington has not confirmed this.  A European maritime industry source warned that normal traffic will take time to resume, with congested ports and a logistical chain that must be entirely reorganized. (Bssnews)