At least three vessels, including two LNG tankers and a French containership, transited the chokepoint after temporarily switching off transponders, shipping data showed.
The passages offered a small boost to investor sentiment as Washington awaited Tehran's response to a proposal to reopen the strait, despite continuing regional tensions.
Disruption to roughly a fifth of global oil trade is still rippling through businesses, with jet fuel shortages affecting European travel even as some energy traders and investors profit.
As 'dark' tankers evade the Hormuz blockade, are we underestimating the risk of a full-blown global recession?
With US tariffs and troop withdrawals as threats, what leverage does Europe have left to salvage its alliance with America?
As China builds the world's robots with Western AI, is a new tech cold war or a forced partnership the inevitable outcome?
Strait of Hormuz Blockade Strands 20,000 Seafarers as Project Freedom Halts and Economic Fallout Worsens
Overview
Since the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran in February 2026, a severe conflict has trapped around 20,000 seafarers aboard 1,600 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's deployment of naval mines, patrols, and toll demands, combined with a U.S. naval blockade, has reduced daily ship traffic by over 90%, causing critical shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. The U.S. launched Project Freedom in May 2026 to escort ships, but it was paused amid military clashes and diplomatic tensions. This stalemate has driven oil prices sharply higher, disrupted global food and energy supplies, and strained humanitarian aid, highlighting the urgent need for a political solution to reopen this vital waterway.