Escalation in Persian Gulf leads to halting of shipping in Strait of Hormuz

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has almost completely halted as a result of the escalation of the situation in the region, according to monitoring and analysis data from the companies SynMax and Kpler, The Daily Baku informs via Al Jazeera.

Over the past 12 hours, only three passages through the strait have been recorded.

The oil products tanker Nero, which is under UK sanctions, has left the Persian Gulf and is currently passing through the strait. Two other vessels - a chemical tanker and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker - separately entered the Persian Gulf via this route.

In the early hours of April 19, the American guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance seized the cargo vessel TOUSKA, sailing under the Iranian flag, in the Gulf of Oman. In response, Iranian media noted that the country's armed forces carried out a drone attack on American military vessels.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran. That same day, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Israel and other countries of the region housing US military assets.

Iran, the US, and their allies agreed to a two-week ceasefire on the night of April 8, 2026.

Subsequent negotiations between Iran and the US, mediated by Pakistan, were held in Islamabad on April 11-12.