Gulf shipping traffic steady amid uncertainty of peace talks
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Roughly 130 to 140 ships would typically transit the waterway before the US-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb 28 and Iran responded by closing the strait.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Shipping traffic at the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb remained steady on Aug 5, with vessel numbers unchanged from the previous day despite regional tensions.
- The LNG tanker Mubaraz has successfully transported cargo from Das Island to India multiple times since the US-Iran conflict began, signalling ongoing energy shipments.
- Qatar reported progress in mediating efforts to end the US-Iran war, lowering oil prices, though Iran denied that peace talks have started, reflecting ongoing uncertainty.
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SINGAPORE – Shipping traffic at the key Middle Eastern maritime chokepoints of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb was little changed on Aug 5 from the previous day, ship-tracking data showed.
Eight vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, including five tankers and three bulk carriers, shipping data from Kpler showed, the same as the previous day. Six of the vessels, three tankers and three bulk carriers, were entering the strait, while a gas carrier and a tanker were exiting.
Roughly 130 to 140 ships would typically transit the waterway before the US-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb 28 and Iran responded by closing the strait.
Additionally, a liquefied natural gas tanker controlled by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co reappeared outside the Strait of Hormuz on Aug 5, carrying a cargo loaded from Das Island, according to LSEG and Kpler data.
The tanker Mubaraz departed Das Island, United Arab Emirates, on July 14 after picking up a cargo there, both LSEG and Kpler reported. It was last seen inside the strait on July 16, according to the ship-tracking data.
The tanker is currently off the western coast of India, both companies’ data showed. LSEG data shows a discharge location of India’s Dahej terminal in Gujarat, with an arrival date of Aug 5.
This is the third time the Mubaraz LNG tanker has exited the strait carrying cargoes from Das Island since the war began. The previous two cargoes were delivered to China and India.
ADNOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.
In the Bab el-Mandeb, 20 vessels crossed the strait on Aug 5, with 10 entering and 10 exiting the waterway, Kpler data showed, the same as the previous day.
Six tankers, three dry bulk carriers and a gas carrier entered the Bab el-Mandeb, while seven tankers and three bulk carriers exited, the data showed.
Some vessels may still be sailing with their transponders turned off, which are not considered in the counts.
Qatar said on Aug 4 that mediators were making progress in efforts to end the US-Iran war, driving oil prices lower, although Tehran has denied President Donald Trump’s assertion that talks are already under way. REUTERS
