At least 12 tankers pass through Strait of Hormuz within hours of Trump's Iran deal, data shows

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz began to recover within hours of the U.S.-Iran agreement, with ship-tracking reporting indicating that at least 12 tankers passed through the chokepoint after the deal was signed.

The early movement points to an immediate reopening of one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, but not a full normalization. Reporting from AP said major shipowners have started moving vessels through the strait again, while maritime officials and ship-tracking data suggest the route is still constrained by security risks and continuing uncertainty.

The first wave of traffic

AP cited Lloyd’s List Intelligence in saying this was the first time in 110 days that ships owned by major companies had transited the strait. The vessels named in that reporting included ships operated by Grimaldi Group, Cosco, Knutsen and NYK.

AP also said two Iran-flagged, National Iranian Tanker Company-owned sanctioned crude oil tankers entered the strait. The early traffic suggests commercial operators are beginning to test the route again after months of disruption.

A separate report based on ship-tracking data said at least 12 tankers passed through the strait within hours of the agreement, including three Saudi-flagged supertankers. That exact count has not been independently corroborated across all of the reporting gathered here, but it fits the broader picture of an immediate, limited restart in traffic.

A partial reopening

The deal follows the U.S. and Iran signing an agreement on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, that includes reopening Hormuz. The Guardian reported that the memorandum allows toll-free passage for ships through the strait for 60 days, after which Iran says it will begin charging fees.

Even as vessels started moving again, the main central route remained closed, according to Phillip Belcher, marine director at Intertanko. He told AP that roughly 80 mines still need to be cleared before the core channel can fully reopen.

For now, ships are using the northern route through Iranian waters and the southern route through Omani waters. Belcher said those routes now appear to be fully open, giving carriers a narrower but workable path through the chokepoint.

AP said Lloyd’s List estimates about 550 merchant ships are still waiting to exit the Gulf, including 160 tankers, 200 bulk carriers, 60 container ships and 10 vehicle carriers. That backlog suggests the reopening is only the first step in unwinding a much larger disruption.

Political claims and market stakes

The diplomatic framing of the deal differs sharply on each side. The Guardian quoted President Donald Trump saying the agreement prevented a "worldwide depression" and that the strait would not have been opened otherwise.

The same reporting quoted Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf calling the agreement "a record of US failure." The two governments are presenting the same memorandum in starkly different political terms, even as maritime traffic begins to move.

The agreement also has wider strategic implications. The Guardian said it includes the immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and waivers for Iranian crude oil exports, linking shipping access to the broader diplomatic bargain.

What happens next

The central question is whether the first wave of sailings turns into a broader resumption of commerce. The research packet points to several things to watch: more commercial transits in the next few hours, any route-clearance announcements from maritime authorities, and formal statements from Washington or Tehran about enforcement and the 60-day window.

There is also a market angle. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil and LNG trade, so even a partial reopening could affect stranded vessels, supply chains, insurers and energy prices. But with mines still reported in the main channel, carriers may keep treating the strait as only partially safe until the route is fully cleared.

For now, the available reporting supports one clear conclusion: traffic is resuming, but the reopening is still incomplete and politically contested.