Fewer than 20 cargo ships cross Strait of Hormuz despite Trump saying it is open

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Large commercial vessels and a small boat navigate the waters off the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran on June 21, 2026. [Hassan Ghaedi - Anadolu Agency]https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AA-20260621-41740656-41740651-VESSEL_ACTIVITY_IN_THE_STRAIT_OF_HORMUZ-1-1.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" width="1200" />
Shipping data on Monday showed that fewer than 20 cargo ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz at the start of this week, amid restrictions on shipping through the vital energy route.

Preliminary data from ship-tracking company Kpler, issued at 02:28 GMT, showed that four ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 on Saturday.

The figures may be revised later, as some vessels switch off their transponders while passing through the strait, according to Reuters.

The data compared with 16 vessels that crossed the strait on Friday.

Two giant crude oil tankers entered the Gulf empty with their tracking systems switched off, one bound for Iraq and the other for Bahrain.

US officials said on Saturday that […]

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