Iran and some countries have reached an agreement, leading to a rebound in the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. and Iran military actions have been ongoing for more than a month. Under the impact of the conflict, one of the world’s most critical energy and shipping choke points—the Strait of Hormuz—has nearly been cut off. However, the latest reports show that after Iran reached agreements with some countries, the number of vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz increased over the past week.

According to Caixin Finance and Economics, based on ship-tracking data compiled by industry sources, the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz increased over the past week. As of Friday, the seven-day rolling average of transiting vessels reached the highest level since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict at the end of February. The data shows that from Friday morning local time to Saturday evening, a total of 13 vessels passed through the strait—10 leaving the Persian Gulf and 3 entering from the high seas.

The reports say that as countries have been coordinating with Iran to ensure the passage of their ships, more and more vessels are crossing the strait, including those that do not have any clear association with Iran. Even on Friday, a French container ship and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessel owned by a company associated with Japan were seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which appears to be the first time this kind of passage has occurred since the key waterway was disrupted due to the U.S.-Iran war.

On the evening of April 4, 2026, local time, the spokesperson of the central headquarters of Iran’s armed forces, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a statement saying that Iraq is subject to no restrictions imposed by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz; the restrictions apply only to “hostile countries.” At the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Command stated that an Iranian drone struck a ship associated with Israel within the Strait of Hormuz and triggered a large-scale fire.

In an earlier report, Xinhua News Agency described that the Strait of Hormuz is arc-shaped and connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. At its narrowest point, it is only about 33 kilometers wide. At the narrowest section of the strait, each shipping lane is about 3 kilometers wide, with a buffer zone of the same width in the middle. In such a confined waterway, whether it is civilian vessels or warships, they are easily targeted for strikes. The report cited comments from Ali Vaez, head of the Iran Project at the Brussels think tank International Crisis Group, saying that, taking advantage of the Strait of Hormuz’s unique geographic conditions, Iran only needs to dispatch a small number of drones to “stop ship traffic.”

After the outbreak of the conflict, on April 2, the United Kingdom, a NATO ally of the United States, held a meeting with dozens of countries including France, Germany, and Italy to jointly discuss ways to restore normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. was not invited to attend. On April 1, the Office of Iran’s Supreme Leader reposted on social media the contents of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s first remarks, reaffirming that Iran will continue to use the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a countermeasure.

In response, on April 4, U.S. President Trump posted on social media, calling on Iran to reach an agreement within 48 hours or to open the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, Trump had issued threats to Iran multiple times, demanding that it open the Strait of Hormuz.

China Central Television (CCTV) News reported that regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Trump’s recent series of statements appear to conflict with one another, highlighting the passive position of the U.S. side. According to reports, at times Trump claims that stopping Iran from controlling the Strait of Hormuz is a precondition for a ceasefire; at other times he says that “in due time, the U.S. Navy will ‘clear’ the strait”; and at other times he urges those countries that need shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to obtain oil to “take responsibility for maintaining the channel themselves,” and encourages them to go directly to the Strait of Hormuz to “grab oil,” or “buy oil from the United States.”

The U.S. intelligence community recently assessed that Iran views the Strait of Hormuz as an important “bargaining chip” to counter the United States and is unlikely to loosen its control over this energy shipping hub in the near term. Reuters reported on April 3, citing three people familiar with the matter who did not wish to be named, that Iran has “tasted the sweetness” from controlling the Strait of Hormuz and therefore will not give up this method anytime soon.

Analysts believe the United States is currently trapped in multiple predicaments. On one hand, with Iran’s exceptional geographic advantage, Iran can control the Strait of Hormuz, making it difficult for the U.S. to “clear” the waterway with force. On the other hand, Iran will continue to use the strait as a bargaining chip, making the outlook for negotiations difficult for the U.S. Meanwhile, the spillover effects of the conflict have already spread into the U.S. domestic economy, people’s livelihoods, and politics, exacerbating President Trump’s political liabilities.

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责任编辑：杨赐