Dubai: Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed down a lot over the weekend. This happened after a ship was hit while going through the Strait. The Strait is an important waterway. People are worried about safety at sea. Iran and Oman are now talking about how to manage the Strait in the future.
According to a firm that tracks ships, Kpler, 29 ships with goods crossed the Strait on Saturday. This is down from 70 ships that crossed on Wednesday. Traffic slowed down more on Sunday. 12 Ships went through.
The slowdown happened because there were tensions. There were strikes between Iran and the United States. This made people unsure about an agreement to reduce conflict in the area.
Even though Iran warned against using the shipping lanes, ships kept using a southern route through Omani waters. Then they slowed down as shipping companies thought about the risks.
Data showed more ships entering the Gulf than leaving over the weekend. This is the opposite of a week. Then, ships were mainly leaving the area to take sailors
According to another research firm, HFI Research, four oil tankers and one container ship entered the Gulf on Sunday. They went through the Omani corridor with US Navy ships escorting them. No ships left using that route that day.
Iran and Oman Hold First Joint Hormuz Committee Meeting
Iran and Oman had their meeting under the new Joint Hormuz Committee. This committee was set up after Iran and the United States agreed to work on June 15.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said they talked about issues and how to manage the Strait in the future.
The Strait of Hormuz is very important. It is bordered by Iran and Oman. A lot of the world’s oil and gas exports go through it.
Transit Fee Dispute Remains a Key Challenge
There is a problem with fees for using the Strait. Iran wants to charge ships a fee for using it. They say this will help pay for services and management. The United States does not agree. They think the Strait is a waterway.
Oman initially said it would discuss fees with Iran. Then they said they are not planning to charge fees. They set up a shipping route near their coastline with the United Nations.
Iran did not accept this route. They said ships should use the route near their coastline. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned that using routes could make tensions worse. Shipping companies are watching what happens next. They want to see if things get safer and if an agreement is made about the Strait. The Strait is one of the important waterways in the world.
