Strait of Hormuz closed as Iran seizes ships after Trump ceasefire extension
Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the Musandam coast of Oman, April 18, 2026.
Stringer | Reuters
Ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remained very light on Wednesday, the first day after President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran.
Trump’s decision to unilaterally extend the ceasefire did not open the strait. While Iran is still trying to control ship traffic on the sea route, the United States continues its blockade of Tehran’s ports and ships.
At least six ships, including three oil tankers, passed through the strait on Wednesday, according to tracking data from LSEG. Iranian tanker Atlantis II appears to have crossed the strait and entered the Gulf of Oman despite the US blockade.
According to LSEG, there was little change in traffic compared to Tuesday, when at least six ships were sailing. Data showed about a dozen commercial vessels of various types transited on Monday.
Traffic was well below normal pre-war levels, as more than 100 ships passed through the strait every day.
The security situation in the Strait remains dangerous. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Wednesday that it had seized two container ships that tried to cross the strait “without permission”, according to state news agency Tasnim.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) warned ships that there was a “high level of activity” in the strait and that they should report suspicious activity.
A cargo ship was fired upon on Wednesday and is now stopped in the water, according to an incident report from the UKMTO. UKMTO said an Iranian Revolutionary Guard warship opened fire on a container ship on Tuesday, causing heavy damage to the bridge.
The attacks on ships this week followed a weekend of confusion and clashes in and around the strait. Iranian forces opened fire on a tanker and cargo ship in the seaway on Saturday, a day after declaring the sea route open to commercial traffic. These ships were apparently Indian and New Delhi complained to Tehran.
The US Navy opened fire on an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday. The sailors boarded the ship and detained it. Trump said the ship was trying to bypass the US blockade of Iran.
Iran’s attacks on oil tankers before the ceasefire caused traffic in the strait to decrease and triggered what was described as the largest oil supply disruption in history.
Approximately 20% of the world’s crude oil resources passed through the Bosphorus before the war. According to Rystad Energy, it will take until July for oil flows to reach 90% of pre-war levels, and it will take up to two months for barrels to reach refineries around the world to be processed into product.
