Shipowners want out of Gulf, but Hormuz exit remains cautious

Shipowners are eyeing a Gulf exit after the Hormuz ceasefire, but many are still waiting for clearer guidance before moving trapped vessels.

Shipowners with vessels trapped inside the Persian Gulf are preparing for a possible exit after the US-Iran ceasefire partially reopened the Strait of Hormuz, but operators are still holding back until routing instructions and security procedures become clearer. The hesitation shows that even with a diplomatic pause in place, commercial traffic is unlikely to snap back immediately because crews, insurers and charterers still need confidence that the passage can remain open long enough for orderly departures.

TankerMap data underlines the scale of the market watching the corridor. The platform tracks 4,105 vessels in total, including 3,201 crude tankers and 904 LNG carriers, across 155 energy ports worldwide. Live tracking on Wednesday showed crude tankers active well outside the Gulf on alternative routes, while import and export hubs across the system continued to reflect cautious repositioning. For shipping markets, the next test is not just whether ships can leave Hormuz, but whether owners will believe the conditions are stable enough to move in volume.