Strait of Hormuz still seeing significantly lower traffic despite ceasefire

World Strait of Hormuz still seeing significantly lower traffic despite Iran war ceasefire By Julia Ingram Julia Ingram Data Journalist Julia Ingram is a data journalist for CBS News Confirmed. She uses data analysis and computation to cover misinformation, AI and social media. Read Full Bio Julia Ingram April 9, 2026 / 8:02 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Only about a dozen ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the first two days of the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, far below the normal traffic level before the war, marine transit data shows.As part of the agreement, which President Trump announced late Tuesday, Iran would allow vessels to cross through the channel, which is a crucial waterway for shipping about 20% of the world's oil supply. But early Wednesday, an Iranian news agency linked to the country's military reported that traffic through the strait would be suspended in response to Israel's attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed Iran's claim that the Lebanon conflict was part of the ceasefire agreement. Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday that there was a "legitimate misunderstanding" about the terms of the ceasefire."We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today," Leavitt said Wednesday. "I will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately, quickly and safely."On Wednesday and Thursday, at least 12 ships passed through the waterway — just a fraction of what would have been seen before the war, data from ship tracking company, Marine Traffic, shows. From Feb. 1 to Feb. 27, the U.N.'s Trade and Development organization said the average number of vessels passing through the strait was 129 before beginning to slow as the war began on Feb. 28. Only three of the ships that passed through since the ceasefire began were oil or chemical tankers, all passing on Thursday. All three are u...