Iran Limits Strait of Hormuz to 15 Ships Per Day Under US Ceasefire Deal

Key Takeaways:

• Iran has capped Strait of Hormuz vas postulation astatine 15 ships per time nether the April 7 US-Iran ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.
• The IRGC-enforced bounds kept Brent crude adjacent $94.75 and WTI astatine $93 arsenic of April 9, 2026, sustaining planetary vigor marketplace volatility.
• US VP JD Vance leads Islamabad talks expected April 10, wherever Iran’s asset-unfreezing and UN solution demands volition look nonstop pressure.

Global Oil Supply astatine Risk arsenic Iran Enforces 15-Ship Daily Limit connected Hormuz Passage

Russia’s authorities quality bureau TASS reported the regularisation connected April 9, citing an unnamed elder Iranian official. The headdress represents a steep simplification from pre-conflict postulation levels, which typically ran betwixt 100 and 150 vessels regular done the 21-mile chokepoint betwixt Iran and Oman.

The strait carries astir 20% of planetary seaborne oil, on with important volumes of liquefied earthy gas and fertilizers. Even nether ceasefire conditions, existent vessel movements remained minimal, with lone 4 vessels tracked connected April 8 and postulation described arsenic astir nonexistent done April 9.

All transits done the waterway present necessitate anterior Iranian support and nonstop coordination with Iranian equipped forces. Ships indispensable travel a navigation representation issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, routing vessels person to the Iranian coast, a precaution attributed to mines planted successful accepted shipping lanes during the conflict.

The Iranian root told TASS determination would beryllium “no instrumentality to the pre-war presumption quo.” Additional ceasefire conditions see unfreezing Iranian assets wrong 2 weeks, a ceremonial end-of-war solution done the United Nations (UN) Security Council, nary summation successful US unit deployments, and compliance with uranium enrichment terms. Iran has warned it volition resume combat operations if those demands spell unmet.

The existent situation traces to precocious February 2026, erstwhile the United States and Israel conducted strikes connected Iran. Tehran responded by attacking merchant vessels, laying mines, and blockading the strait to ships linked to the US, Israel, and allied nations. Oil benchmarks climbed supra $100 per tube successful the weeks that followed, with carnal crude prices reaching adjacent $150 successful immoderate markets.

Pakistan brokered the ceasefire, and US President Donald Trump described Iran’s 10-point connection arsenic a “workable basis” for continuing negotiations. Talks are scheduled successful Islamabad opening astir April 10, with Vice President JD Vance starring the US delegation. The ceasefire has already faced strain from Israeli subject enactment successful Lebanon and disagreements implicit Hormuz terms.

As of 11:30 a.m. Eastern clip connected April 9, Brent crude stood astatine $94.75 per tube and West Texas Intermediate astatine $93. Both benchmarks had pulled backmost from wartime peaks supra $100 but ticked higher done the league arsenic ceasefire fragility weighed connected markets. European governments pushed backmost against Iran’s conditions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told parliament connected April 9 that afloat reopening of the strait is simply a “vital interest” for Italy and the European Union, informing that immoderate Iranian duties oregon restrictions would transportation “unpredictable economical consequences.” UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called for the waterway to beryllium reopened connected a toll-free ground and led diplomatic outreach crossed dozens of countries, stressing that Iran indispensable not beryllium allowed to enforce fees and that Lebanon indispensable beryllium included successful the ceasefire framework.

Gulf states, including the UAE, rejected immoderate weaponization of the strait oregon the imposition of tolls. France announced preparations for naval escort missions to facilitate harmless passage. Trump stated publically that the strait is “OPEN and SAFE,” though shipping companies and insurers person not yet acted connected that assurance.

Reports person cited imaginable Iranian toll demands of up to $2 cardinal per vessel, immoderate adjacent noting the acceptance of bitcoin and stablecoins. Analysts accidental specified fees apt struggle with customary planetary maritime law, though enforcement mechanisms stay limited. Oman has formally rejected immoderate revenue-sharing arrangements.

Shipowners and cargo operators stay cautious contempt the ceasefire announcement. War-risk security premiums stay elevated, and operators are waiting for clearer signals earlier restoring mean routing done the strait.

The Islamabad talks volition trial whether the 15-vessel bounds holds, expands, oregon collapses entirely. Iran has near small ambiguity astir its position. Whether the US and its partners tin negociate a durable instrumentality to unfastened transit remains the cardinal question heading into the adjacent circular of talks.