The U.S.-Iran deal has moved from signatures to ships. Major vessel operators are now sending traffic through the Strait of Hormuz again, while Washington says it has lifted the port blockade that helped define the Iran crisis.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. Navy has allowed more than a dozen ships through to Iranian ports under the new agreement. Vance also said more than 12.5 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night.
That is the new angle in the Iran crisis. List25 has already covered the deal, the Swiss negotiating track, the tanker tests, the toll fight, and Washington’s warning that the blockade can be reimposed. This update is different because the reopening is now being measured in larger commercial movement, not only diplomatic claims or isolated Iranian tanker crossings.
The Blockade Is Being Lifted In Practice
Vance framed the ship movement as Washington honoring the military side of the agreement. He also said the United States expects the next phase of talks to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, including highly enriched uranium and the broader final settlement.
Al Jazeera reported that the 60-day negotiating period has begun after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed the memorandum of understanding. That means the maritime reopening is happening at the same time as negotiators begin the much harder work of turning the interim document into a final deal.
The sequence matters. A paper agreement can calm markets. Ships moving through Hormuz can prove whether the agreement is actually changing behavior on the water. If traffic keeps rising, the deal gains credibility. If traffic stalls, the crisis could quickly return to arguments over compliance, mine clearance, sanctions relief, and military leverage.
Major Shipowners Are Moving Again
In a separate dispatch, AP reported that major shipowners have begun moving vessels through Hormuz since the U.S. and Iran signed the agreement Wednesday, citing Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Richard Meade, editor in chief of Lloyd’s List, said ships owned by major companies are transiting the strait for the first time in 110 days after being effectively stuck since February.
According to that AP report, vessels controlled by Grimaldi Group, Cosco, Knutsen, and NYK have passed through the strait. Two sanctioned, Iran-flagged tankers owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company have also entered the waterway.
That is a bigger signal than a single cargo leaving port. It suggests large commercial operators are beginning to test whether the new rules, military posture, and insurance environment are safe enough for movement. But the return is still partial. AP reported that Lloyd’s List estimates about 550 merchant ships will need to prepare to exit the Gulf, including 160 tankers, 200 bulk carriers, 60 container ships, and 10 vehicle carriers.
The Strait Is Open, But Not Normal
The reopening still has a hard security limit. AP reported that the main central route of the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and has an estimated 80 mines that need to be cleared, according to Phillip Belcher, marine director of Intertanko. Ships are instead moving through the smaller northern route in Iranian waters and the southern route in Omani waters.
The Guardian reported that at least seven vessels crossed Hormuz earlier Thursday, citing MarineTraffic data, while also noting that this was still far below the prewar average of about 135 ships per day. The same live coverage reported that Vance said the 60-day final-deal window officially started Thursday, which would place the target deadline on August 17.
That is the contradiction at the center of the moment. The blockade is being lifted, oil is moving, and major shipowners are testing the route again. But Hormuz is not back to normal. The central lane remains unsafe, hundreds of vessels still need to reposition, and the final U.S.-Iran deal has not been written.
Why This Is The First Real Test
The first practical test of the agreement is not whether Washington and Tehran can describe the deal differently for domestic audiences. It is whether ships keep moving without a new military incident.
If oil flows expand and commercial operators regain confidence, the deal will have delivered its most immediate economic benefit: easing the energy shock from the Hormuz closure. That would give both governments a reason to keep negotiating even while the nuclear and sanctions questions remain unresolved.
If movement slows or either side accuses the other of breaking the terms, the same waterway could become the pressure point again. Washington has already warned that the blockade can return. Tehran has warned that implementation depends on U.S. compliance. Israel’s operations in Lebanon are also still testing the wider regional language around the deal.
For now, the strongest signal is on the water. Hormuz traffic is no longer frozen, and the first major commercial return is underway. But the difference between reopening and normalization will be measured over days and weeks, not in one press briefing.