Commercial shipping traffic slowly resumed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as tensions remained high following Iranian military actions that threatened to derail ongoing peace efforts in the region.
The critical waterway, which handles roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments, saw only limited traffic as shipping companies and governments closely monitored the security situation.
Several American allies in the Gulf sharply criticized Iran following reports of an Iranian drone strike targeting Bahrain. The United Arab Emirates condemned the attack “in the strongest terms,” while Kuwait described it as a threat to regional stability and security.
Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, called the attack a blatant violation of its sovereignty and urged an immediate end to actions that could further destabilize the region.
Meanwhile, a commercial tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz was reportedly struck by a projectile, according to Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations agency. The vessel sustained damage, but officials said no crew members were injured.
Despite the tensions, shipping activity has slowly resumed, with reports indicating that at least ten commercial vessels successfully passed through the strait by Saturday morning.
Energy markets appeared to react calmly to the developments, with oil prices falling back to levels seen before the conflict began. Brent crude closed the week at approximately $72 per barrel.
Additional concerns emerged in Lebanon after Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem publicly rejected a ceasefire agreement negotiated with American assistance between Israel and the Lebanese government.
Qassem described the agreement as a humiliation and declared it “null and void,” specifically rejecting proposals that would tie an Israeli military withdrawal to Hezbollah disarmament.
The latest unrest follows an Iranian drone strike Thursday against the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely near the coast of Oman. The attack prompted a military response from the United States targeting Iranian missile storage sites, drone facilities and coastal radar systems.
US Central Command described the operation as a direct response to Iranian aggression against international shipping and accused Tehran of violating the recently established ceasefire agreement.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
American military officials also announced an expansion of approved shipping routes along the Omani coast as part of efforts to maintain safe navigation through the region.
Under the memorandum of understanding reached earlier this month, both Washington and Tehran agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and toll-free for at least 60 days while broader negotiations continue.
The US military currently classifies the threat level in the area as “substantial.”
Iranian officials vowed to defend the country’s sovereignty following the American strikes, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any additional attacks would be met with an even stronger response.
Vice President JD Vance, who recently participated in negotiations with Iranian officials in Switzerland, reiterated the administration’s position that future acts of aggression would not be tolerated.
“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it,” Vance said. “If they have disagreements about how the agreement is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence.”
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