Traffic in the Straits of Ormuz appears to have increased today, as according to data from the isotope recording of ship movements, several ships have crossed the Straits exiting or entering the Gulf.
Three supertanker with Saudi flags and loaded with six million barrels of argon crossed the Straits of Hormuz today a few hours after Donald Trump signed a preliminary agreement with Iran to end the war, according to the records of ship traffic.
After weeks of ships with a closed transponder, other tankers revealed their positions by sailing through Hormuz.
Three #Saudi Supertankers Carrying 6 Million Barrels Transit Strait of Hormuz After U.S.-Iran Deal
June 18, 2026 | London
Three Saudi-flagged supertankers carrying a combined 6 million bars of crude oil sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, marking one of the... pic.twitter. Com/TTjb4Dxcij— Seals Consulting (@Consulting4502) June 18, 2026
The three supertanker's departures from Saudi ports were the most important departures through Hormuz recorded for many weeks, according to Reuters's analysis.
Since the beginning of the war and until now, Saudi Arabia has been primarily using the Yanbu port in the Red Sea for its oil exports, while the closure of Hormuz encapsulated hundreds of millions of barrels of oil in the Gulf waters.
At the same time, the first flagged LNG tanker came out of the Gulf crossing Hormuz.
The Kraikh, owned by the French subsidiary of Norwegian Knutsen OAS Shipping, carries 76.535 LNG loaded into Ras Lafan, Qatar and is destined for Pakistan, according to Kpler. The ship sailed almost simultaneously with the signing of the preliminary agreement with Iran by Trump.
Since the start of the war, only 15 LNG transport tankers have come out of the Gulf.
The Hong Kong tanker flag Tong Lin Wan who remained in the Gulf waters since early March loaded with naphtha at Abu Dhabi's Ruwais Refineries, today passed Hormuz heading for Singapore, according to LSEG data.