The latest:
Six oil and gas freighters were seen crossing Hormuz Sunday along a route hugging Oman’s coast, a sign of recovery a day after eight vessels U-turned, per Bloomberg. Western navies describe the threat as substantial and say the strait’s center has been mined.
Details:
• By the numbers: 19 vessels crossed Hormuz in both directions Saturday, but only one openly signaled an inbound transit along the Omani route, versus 13 Friday, per Kpler.
• Alternate route: Two small tankers exited the Gulf sailing closer to Iran, and four of the U-turning ships headed north toward the Iranian route.
• Iran’s stance: Tehran says ships must transit only via its designated route, and has fired on some vessels that pressed on.
• Going dark: Many tankers sail with transponders off to avoid detection, surfacing only after clearing the strait, making real traffic hard to count.
What to watch:
The key signal is whether empty tankers will re-enter the Gulf to take on fresh cargoes, setting the pace of oil-flow normalization. Markets are tracking daily crossings along the Omani route and any new Iranian harassment or strikes.
