US President Donald Trump has claimed that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is operating normally, saying the key waterway is now open.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said the channel was open and described Iran’s recent response as “very mild.” He said Iran did not want the United States to launch another attack against the country.
Earlier, US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said in a video message that internationally recognized maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared of Iranian sea mines. He described the development as a “major milestone.”
However, vessel traffic through the strategic waterway remains significantly lower than before the war.
According to Axios, citing US officials, the number of ships currently passing through the strait is about half the pre-war level. Between 20 and 30 oil tankers are reportedly crossing the waterway each night.
A US official told the news outlet that Iran had attacked around 2 percent of the vessels that passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past month. The official said Iran was still attempting to target ships, although most of the attempts had missed their targets.
Reuters’ preliminary shipping data, however, showed that only seven cargo vessels passed through the strait on Thursday, compared with 17 the previous day. Thursday’s figure was also below the 10-day daily average of 15 vessels.
Reuters noted that the figures could change because some ships turn off their transponders while sailing, making them difficult to track.
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