Key facts
- Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on August 10.
- Iran demands the US end regional wars, release frozen assets, and agree to a ceasefire for the strait to reopen.
- Total traffic on August 10 was approximately 7% of pre-war levels.
- The US Central Command reported a higher number of transits than independently verified.
- The US continued to enforce a blockade against Iranian ports, disabling a cargo vessel.
Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Monday, with Iran demanding additional concessions from the United States for its reopening. Maritime security firm Windward reported that only 10 vessels transited the strait on August 10, split between seven inbound and three outbound crossings, with most using the northern corridor. This traffic level represents approximately 7% of pre-war levels and is a slight increase from a two-week low of seven crossings on August 9.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated that the Strait of Hormuz "will not reopen until the US ends the war and blockade, releases Iran's frozen assets, and agrees to a region-wide ceasefire, including in Lebanon and Gaza." He added, "Until all conditions are met, the strait will remain closed."
Pakistan's interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, but no announcements were made regarding progress on reopening the strait. The US Central Command (Centcom), responsible for US forces in the Middle East, indicated in a notice via the UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) that 42 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz between August 9-10. However, this figure could not be independently verified through vessel tracking and satellite information.
UKMTO noted that maritime traffic is expected to remain at reduced levels in both the northern Iranian-controlled route and the southern Omani corridor, describing transits as being in the "single digits." The US continued to enforce its retaliatory blockade against Iranian ports, which Iran has made a precondition for reopening the strait. Centcom confirmed on August 11 that it disabled the cargo vessel Vela Nova for attempting to violate the US blockade. A US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired missiles into the Vela Nova's engine room after its civilian crew ignored warnings. Centcom has redirected 55 commercial vessels and disabled three others, including the Vela Nova, and boarded two vessels to ensure blockade compliance.