Shipping traffic at key Gulf waterways little changed on uncertain peace talks

SINGAPORE: Shipping traffic at the key Gulf waterways of Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz held largely unchanged at ​the start of the week, shipping data showed, as ‌the progress of talks between the United States and Iran remained ambiguous.

Twenty vessels — 12 tankers and eight bulk carriers — passed through the Bab el-Mandeb ​strait on Monday, Kpler shipping data showed, steady from ​the previous day.

Of these 20 crossings, there were a ⁠total of 12 exits and eight entries, mostly with their ​transponders on.

Any progress in US-Iran talks appeared to be uncertain. ​Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that no negotiations with the US were taking place and no meetings were scheduled.

This came after US ​President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was holding off ​on new attacks on Iran pending ongoing talks to end their war ‌and ⁠to settle claims over the control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Traffic remained largely slow at Hormuz, with six vessels —three tankers and three bulk carriers — transiting the strait on Monday, down from seven ​on the previous ​day, according ⁠to Kpler data.

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These six vessels included five entries and one exit, all via the Iranian shipping ​route.

Some vessels may still be sailing with their ​transponders ⁠turned off, which are not considered in the counts.

The risk of vessel attacks kept shipping sentiment cautious at the key waterways, prompting ⁠some ​Saudi-flagged supertankers to change course in the ​Gulf of Aden and divert to southern Africa amid threats by Yemen’s Houthi movement ​to target Saudi shipping.