Hormuz choke point persists as Iran halts oil traffic despite Trump ceasefire
Kpler analyst says no oil products are passing through the waterway and nearly 20,000 mariners are stranded
By Morgan Phillips Fox News
Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively halted despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire that hinged on reopening the critical waterway, raising fresh questions about whether Iran is following through on a central condition of the truce.
A backlog of roughly 3,200 vessels — among them 800 tankers and cargo ships — has built up west of the strait, with ships idling as operators wait for clarity on whether it is safe to pass.
No oil tankers have risked the journey in recent days, according to Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler, a data and intelligence company.
"We're not seeing any, any, any oil products passing through there," Smith said. "So, for all intents and purposes, the strait remains closed. And this is the leverage that Iran has."
Three vessels passed through the Strait on Thursday, according to Smith, two of them Iranian-flagged and one a dry bulk carrier.
"Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!" President Donald Trump warned on Thursday.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hormuz-choke-point-persists-iran-halts-oil-traffic-despite-trump-ceasefirePublished April 10, 2026 5:00am EDT
