A group of around 20 ships, including container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers, was seen moving in the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship tracking data.

Hapag-Lloyd sign on a container ship at the Valparaiso port, Chile, January 11, 2024.(photo credit: RODRIGO GARRIDO/REUTERS)ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN, REUTERSAPRIL 17, 2026 22:11Updated: APRIL 18, 2026 00:17

Shipping companies have cautiously welcomed Iran's announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is open, but said they would require clarification before vessels transit the entry point to the Gulf.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to all commercial vessels during a 10-day ceasefire accord in Lebanon, prompting a fall in oil and other commodity prices while stock markets rose.

"We are currently verifying the recent announcement related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in terms of its compliance with freedom of navigation for all merchant vessels and secure passage," said Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The Norwegian Shipowners' Association said several things had to be clarified before any ships could transit the strait, including the presence of mines, Iranian conditions, and practical implementation.

"If this represents a step towards an opening, it is a welcome development," said Knut Arild Hareide, CEO of the association, which represents 130 companies with some 1,500 vessels.

An Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier, Shivalik, arrives at Mundra Port via the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Gujarat, India, March 16, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/AMIT DAVE)

German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd was reviewing the situation and "probably we will pass soon," a spokesperson said.

Danish shipper Maersk and France's CMA CGM were not immediately available for comment, while Norwegian oil tanker group Frontline declined to comment.

All commercial ships, including US vessels, can sail through the strait, although their plans need to be coordinated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

Transit would be restricted to lanes that Iran deemed safe, and military vessels were still prohibited, the official said.

A group of ships seen moving from the Gulf, according to ship tracking data

A group of around 20 ships, including container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers, was seen moving in the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, ship tracking data showed.

Even with the Strait fully operational, estimates by the International Monetary Fund say it will take years to restore full activity on the waterway.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned last week that reduced traffic in the Strait of Hormuz might become the new reality for the waterway, similar to what happened with the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea.

This last Strait has seen its traffic almost halved since October 7, 2023, when the Houthis, which operate as one of Iran’s proxy groups in the region, attacked the shipping lane where vessels were sailing.

According to the Fund, “ship passages through Bab-el-Mandeb on the Red Sea have never quite recovered from the devastating disruptions there, and remain stuck at about half their 2023 level.”

The IMF also said that the fact that many oil and gas fields in the Gulf region were struck during the war and will need several years to resume normal operations will be another key factor in this new reality.

The main example cited is Qatar’s Ras Laffan, which accounts for 93% of Qatar’s LNG production and has essentially been shut since March 2, with an estimated 3 to 5 years needed to restore its full capacity.