Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply since Wednesday, especially via the UN-backed Omani route, after vessels were attacked earlier this week, coinciding with new strikes exchanged between the United States and Iran.

Traffic through the strategic waterway had reached its highest levels since the outbreak of the war, following a ceasefire agreement between the parties in mid-June, although it remained at about a third of peacetime levels.

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Decline in ship crossings

But the pace of recovery appears to have stalled, with only six cargo tankers transiting the waterway on Thursday, compared to 21 such tankers on Wednesday. The only day with fewer crossings since the US-Iran ceasefire was June 28, when just 19 cargo tankers passed, a day after a tanker was attacked off the coast of Oman. Most ships that have crossed since Wednesday have either switched off their transponders or used the northern Iranian route, which requires approval from Tehran for passage.