20 vessels pass through Bab el-Mandeb strait
Shipping traffic at the key Gulf waterways of Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz held largely unchanged at the start of the week, shipping data showed, as the progress of talks between the United States and Iran remained ambiguous.
Twenty vessels — 12 tankers and eight bulk carriers — passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Monday, Kpler shipping data showed, steady from the previous day.
Of these 20 crossings, there were a total of 12 exits and eight entries, mostly with their transponders on.
Cargo vessel hit in Hormuz strait
A cargo vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, a British maritime agency said on Tuesday, without giving specifics on damage or injuries, AFP reported.
The vessel, which has not been named, reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” and authorities were investigating, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, adding the incident occurred 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) northeast of Al Khasab, Oman.
US-Iran diplomatic back-and-forth continues
As we begin day 48 of the interim peace deal between US and Iran, here’s a look back at the developments so far.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that negotiations with Iran were ongoing despite Tehran’s denials and the Islamic Republic was facing a “last chance before decapitation.” Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said he agreed to continue to pursue talks with Iran at the request of several countries.
Iran’s foreign ministry denied on Monday that negotiations with Washington were taking place, but Trump insisted they were.
The talks are focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump said could come “literally by tomorrow,” and the denuclearization of Iran, which he said could “take a little while.”
Washington and Tehran have been at war since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran, though months of on-and-off diplomacy have led to periods of relative calm.
Trump last week had threatened to hit Iran “very hard”, only to pull back on Saturday, saying the “perimeters” of a deal were there.
