Singapore: Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dwindled to 33 vessels from Monday to Thursday this week, data showed, versus 50 in the week-ago period, as markets watched talks between Iran and Oman for signs of progress in reopening the key waterway.Four vessels transited the strait ‌on Thursday, ⁠including a very ⁠large crude carrier, Nissos Kea, carrying about 2 million barrels of Basrah crude loaded in Iraq, Kpler data showed.Also read: Iran weighs fines up to 20%, vessel ban for ‘hostile’ ships in HormuzOf the rest, two were laden with ​liquefied petroleum gas and one was a minor bulk carrier.Just six crude oil tankers have exited the strait this week, Kpler data showed. A total of 21 vessels have ⁠entered it ‌so far, mostly via the Iranian route.Several Chinese ​and Indian ​refiners have sought vessels this week to enter ⁠the strait and load crude at Iraq's Basrah Oil Terminal, ​attracted by steep discounts, shipping sources said.However, ​no vessels have been fixed so far as shipowners are wary of entering the waterway, they said.Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO offered discounts of close to $30 a barrel for Basrah Heavy and Basrah Medium crude to customers for August loading.Typically, about ‌130 to 140 ships would transit the strait before Iran closed the waterway after the U.S.-Israeli war began on ​February 28.Also read: Proposed Hormuz deal would give Iran control of inbound traffic, sources sayA ​proposed deal between ⁠Iran and Oman to give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is not easily workable because of ​U.S. sanctions and restrictive insurance clauses on payments, industry sources said.On Thursday, 26 vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait on the Red Sea, up from 19 a day before, Kpler data showed. LSEG counted 28 vessels, using a different tracking system and methodology.