Strait of Hormuz traffic has fallen to roughly five ships a day, according to new reporting on the Iran crisis, underscoring how little the current U.S.-Iran strike pause has done to restore normal movement through the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoint.
The Guardian reported Monday that the United Nations Office for Project Services said transits through the Strait of Hormuz averaged about five ships a day over the past week. Before the war, the waterway handled nearly 130 ships a day, according to the same report.
That is the clearest new measure of the crisis: airstrikes may be paused, diplomats may be talking, and oil prices may be cooling, but shipping confidence through Hormuz remains badly damaged.
Fee dispute blocks a clean reopening
The Guardian reported that Oman and Iran have moved closer to an agreement in principle on managing the strait, but remain stuck on Tehran’s demand that ships passing through the waterway pay some form of transit fee or toll to a consortium led by Iran and Oman.
Oman has reportedly pushed a voluntary contribution model similar to the Strait of Malacca, where users support environmental and safety services. Iran’s proposal would link payments to factors such as ship type, cargo volume, navigation history, and pollution record, according to the Guardian.
That distinction matters. A voluntary safety fund could give both sides a face-saving way to reopen traffic. A mandatory fee system, especially one controlled by Iran, would likely run directly into U.S. opposition and leave commercial operators unsure which rules they are expected to follow.
The military pause remains fragile
Reuters, in reporting published by gCaptain, said President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that the United States was having “good talks” with Iran and saw a chance for a deal. He also warned that if diplomacy fails, Washington would return to what it was doing two days earlier, a reference to the U.S. bombing campaign that was suspended after nearly two weeks.
Iran has publicly rejected the idea that it is asking for direct talks with Washington. Reuters reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said messages were still moving through mediators, but that claims Iran had requested negotiations with the U.S. were “fabricated.”
Al Jazeera reported Sunday that the U.S. and Iran had gone a second day without launching strikes, while U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Trump was giving potential talks “a little bit of room.” The same report said U.S. Central Command stated that its naval blockade of Iran remained in full effect.
Ships are caught between rival rules
The immediate danger is not just airpower. It is confusion and coercion at sea.
Reuters reported that Iranian state media said six ships were turned back Monday after attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian permission. Al Jazeera also reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had stopped vessels in the strait over the weekend by firing warning shots, while CENTCOM said U.S. forces had redirected, disabled, or boarded commercial vessels to enforce the U.S. blockade.
That leaves shipowners facing an ugly problem. The United States is pushing a southern route and insisting on free passage. Iran says vessels must use the route it recognizes and comply with Iranian control. Until a transit arrangement is accepted by both sides, even a routine voyage can become a political and military test.
Why this matters now
Hormuz normally carries a major share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. When traffic falls from about 130 ships a day to roughly five, the disruption is not theoretical. It affects tanker scheduling, insurance costs, energy prices, and the risk calculations of navies operating in tight waters.
Reuters reported that Brent crude fell more than 8% Monday after the U.S. bombing halt and Trump’s comments about talks. But lower prices do not mean the crisis has stabilized. They mean traders are reacting to the possibility of a diplomatic opening while the maritime picture remains extremely constrained.
The fresh angle is blunt: the U.S.-Iran strike pause has opened space for talks, but Hormuz traffic is still near a crawl. If Oman and Iran can resolve the fee dispute in a way Washington accepts, the region gets a real de-escalation path. If they cannot, the next crisis may come from a ship, not a missile.