NEW YORK, June 29. /TASS/. A total of 124 commodity-carrying vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz since June 25, CNN reported, citing data from analytics company Kpler.
According to the broadcaster, this figure is comparable to the number of vessels that passed through the strait each day before the outbreak of the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran. Strikes targeted Iran's largest cities, including Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, Iran's elite military force) announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, attacking Israel. US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia also came under attack. In addition, the Iranian authorities decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to the United States, Israel and countries that supported aggression against the Islamic Republic. Approximately 25% of global oil trade volumes and about 20% of liquefied natural gas trade pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
In mid-June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. On June 21-22, the United States and Iran held talks at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, mediated by Doha and Islamabad, on implementing the memorandum. As noted in a joint statement by Pakistan and Qatar following the first round of negotiations, the meeting between Iranian and US representatives took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere, with encouraging progress achieved, including the establishment of a framework for further technical consultations.
