Strait of Hormuz Tanker Traffic Stalls After Diplomatic Collapse

The silence in the Strait contrasts with Thursday, when 18 vessels—including Chinese, Japanese, and Saudi tonnage—rushed to exit the region. This brief window of movement had been fueled by a memorandum of understanding that sparked initial optimism for a 60-day diplomatic thaw. However, the breakdown of talks in Switzerland before they officially commenced has spooked operators, effectively halting the flow of energy exports.

Donald Trump dismissed the failed engagement, stating, "We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!" While approximately 80 million barrels of crude were positioned for transit, major shipping firms remain wary. Jotaro Tamura, CEO of Mitsui OSK Lines, noted that even with potential agreements, a return to normal operations could take weeks or months. For now, only a handful of vessels are attempting the crossing, and many continue to travel with tracking systems disabled to avoid detection.