Iran has retained operational control of the Strait of Hormuz, with no shipping passing through under a US-led navigation operation in the past 24 hours, as Tehran's grip on the waterway shows that crossings are not possible without coordination with Iranian forces, state media claimed reported on May 5.
The US Navy claimed on May 4 that it had established a new transit route through the strait for the safe passage of vessels under "Project Freedom". Maritime satellite tracking data showed that no ship had crossed under the operation in the 24 hours since, and the only reported transit by container line Maersk had not been officially confirmed, the Iranian outlet said.
According to figures from the European monitoring service TankerTrackers.com, 16 Iranian tankers have crossed the Strait since the start of April.
Data from energy analytics firm Vortexa indicated that Iran's oil export revenue in the first 10 days of the US naval blockade reached around $910mn.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that three vessels which ignored Iranian warnings had been targeted within roughly one hour on May 4, while an Emirati tanker linked to ADNOC was struck in the early hours of the same day.
Maritime tracking data indicated that at least three Iran-linked vessels named DERYA, XAVIA and NOOH GAS transited the strait on May 4 and entered international waters, the report said.
The Iranian outlet said this pattern showed that Iran-affiliated vessels could pass while ships linked to adversary states could not.
Oil and gas market analysis firm HFI Research said in response to US efforts that no vessel was even attempting to test passage through the strait, Tasnim reported.
Almost all Kuwaiti oil exports also pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and Fitch Ratings said earlier on May 5 that a more prolonged conflict could pressure Kuwait's banking sector by reducing business opportunities and weakening asset quality.
"No vessel even attempts to test passage through the Strait of Hormuz," HFI Research said in a comment cited by Tasnim.
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