About 60 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday — Asharq Al-Awsat

About 60 commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. They transported the largest daily volume of crude oil since early July, Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing an unnamed U.S. official who spoke with Reuters.

Oil transportation

According to the official, around 40 vessels coordinated with the U.S. military to ensure protection. In total, about 22 million barrels of oil were transported through the waterway. Reuters noted that it could not independently verify the data provided by the official.

Before the start of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran on February 28, about 125 large commercial vessels, including tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers and container ships, typically passed through the strait daily. This route accounted for about 20% of global daily supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

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Negotiations on shipping

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the central issues in efforts to end the nearly seven-month conflict between the United States and Iran. Iran is seeking an easing of the U.S. blockade, while Washington is pressuring Tehran to stop obstructing shipping along the route for global oil supplies.

Reuters previously reported that U.S. and Iranian negotiators in New York are considering a phased path to ending the war. According to the agency's sources, it could involve Tehran opening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in exchange for Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran.