A ship was hit by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday in the first reported attack since an interim US-Iran peace deal, marking a setback to efforts to restore traffic through the vital energy thoroughfare.

A ship was hit by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday in the first reported attack since an interim US-Iran peace deal, marking a setback to efforts to restore traffic through the vital energy thoroughfare.

Qatar has joined other Persian Gulf nations in reviving crude oil sales, with regional producers cranking up activity as peace talks between the US and Iran progress.

A liquefied natural gas tanker owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. began sending a signal from within the Persian Gulf, as more vessels broadcast their journeys and intentions in recent days following an interim peace deal between the US and Iran.

One of the world’s biggest operators of supertankers has provisionally booked a vessel to transport oil from the Persian Gulf to India at nearly nine times benchmark rates, a price that reflects the shortage of avalable ships in the area.

One of the world’s biggest operators of supertankers has provisionally booked a vessel to transport oil from the Persian Gulf to India at nearly nine times benchmark rates, a price that reflects the shortage of avalable ships in the area.

More ships are transiting the Strait of Hormuz with their satellite signals switched on, pointing to growing confidence among shipowners and traders about sending vessels through the world’s most important energy chokepoint.

The flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is running at the fastest pace since the Iran war began — despite Tehran stating that the world’s key shipping chokepoint is shut and a report that the Islamic Republic continues to harass passing vessels.

Iran has ramped up the amount of oil it sends openly through the Strait of Hormuz to the highest since the war began, as shipping activity picks up while Tehran and Washington seek a lasting peace deal.

Millions of barrels of oil continued to flow through the Strait of Hormuz this weekend even after Iran claimed to have closed the waterway again, as Washington and Tehran offer contrasting narratives over the status of the world’s most important shipping chokepoint.

Ships can consider transiting the Strait of Hormuz along the southern route at any time of day with their signals on, a key naval information group said, as energy traders and shipowners look for clues about how quickly and safely Hormuz traffic can return to normal.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to thin early on Friday, just a day after a burst of oil flows through the waterway as the US and Iran vowed to lift a dual blockade.

Supertankers laden with almost 80 million barrels of oil are sitting in the Persian Gulf and ready to cross the Strait of Hormuz at a moment’s notice, if traders and shipowners give the go-ahead.

A growing stream of stranded oil is making its way out of the Strait of Hormuz and Kuwait said it will start ramping up production, as the US-Iran interim peace deal sparks a flurry of activity that is already pushing Middle East flows toward pre-war levels.

Oil flows going through the Strait of Hormuz may recover to only about 70% of their pre-war level, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which highlighted regional producers leaning on alternative routes.

A laden liquefied natural gas carrier and an empty products tanker are crossing the Strait of Hormuz, as traders watch for signs of traffic through the key waterway after an interim US-Iran peace deal went into effect.

The oil and shipping industry remains largely in wait-and-see mode ahead of Friday’s deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, although there are some tentative signs of preparations as a handful of ships begin rerouting toward the Middle East while Iranian tankers laden with oil move out.

Two oil tankers heading toward Africa have U-turned in the Indian Ocean this week, switching their destinations to the Middle East as shipowners race to re-position vessels ahead of the possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US military says it has defended commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz against regular threats since starting a program to assist vessels moving through the waterway, according to a document sent to the industry that lays out details of the help it’s been offering.

The US military says it has defended commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz against regular threats since starting a program to assist vessels moving through the waterway, according to a document sent to the industry that lays out details of the help it’s been offering.