Over 400 giant ships gather outside the Strait of Hormuz, observing; shipping recovery still awaits clarity in the U.S.-Iran game.

BlockBeats News, June 22—According to shipping and satellite data monitoring, although the United States has lifted some blockade measures and a small number of merchant vessels have tentatively resumed passage, there are still more than 400 large vessels gathering and holding in the area outside the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over the passage of key global crude oil transportation routes continues.

European Space Agency Sentinel-1 radar satellite data shows that as of around 14:15 GMT on Sunday, in waters near Sohar in Oman and Fujairah in the UAE, a total of 441 large vessels close in size to oil tankers have assembled, further increasing compared with the early stage of the conflict in April.

Shipping companies said that the forward deployment of large fleets is intended to wait for the strait to fully reopen and then quickly restore transport capacity, but until negotiations between the US and Iran over a ceasefire and navigation mechanisms are settled, actual passage remains highly restricted.

Satellite data shows that on Sunday, passage through the main channel of the strait was nearly at a standstill. Although Iran had previously agreed to open the route and exclude mines, it announced a phased closure of the channel again after regional tensions escalated. Meanwhile, the US and Iran have continued negotiations in Switzerland on the “conflict de-escalation mechanism” and shipping safety arrangements. The US said that discussion focuses on ensuring the strait remains open and clarifying related navigation statements.

In terms of shipping activity, on Monday four Qatar liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers passed through the strait, reaching a level staged at the highest point since the escalation of the conflict in late February. In addition, some vessels have restarted transponders and publicly shared their locations, which is viewed as a signal of a marginal improvement in market risk expectations. After the US lifted some restrictions on Iranian ports and vessels last week, Iranian tanker traffic has also seen some recovery, but overall shipping remains in a state of high uncertainty and low transit efficiency.