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

Breaking news from Mars Finance: On 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 gathered and standing by outside the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over the passage of the world’s key crude oil transport routes remains.

European Space Agency Sentinel-1 radar satellite data shows that as of about 14:15 GMT on Sunday, in waters near Sohar, Oman, and Fujairah, UAE, a total of 441 large vessels close to the size of oil tankers have gathered—an increase compared with the beginning of the conflict in April.

Shipping companies said that the forward deployment of a large fleet is intended to wait for the Strait to fully restore passage and then quickly resume 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 indicates that on Sunday the main shipping route through the Strait was almost at a standstill. Although Iran previously agreed to open the channel and remove mines, it announced a phased closure of the passage again after regional conditions became tense.

Meanwhile, the US and Iran have continued negotiations in Switzerland on a “de-escalation mechanism” and shipping safety arrangements. The United States said that the focus of discussions includes ensuring the Strait remains open and clarifying related navigation-related statements.

As for shipping activity, on Monday four Qatar LNG carriers passed through the Strait, reaching a level at a temporary high since the conflict escalated at the end of February. In addition, some vessels have restarted transponder responses and publicly shared their locations, which is seen as a signal of a marginal improvement in market risk expectations. After the US lifted restrictions on some Iranian ports and ships last week, Iranian oil tanker activity has also resumed, but overall shipping remains in a state of high uncertainty and low transit efficiency.