Just 13 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first full day of the reinstated U.S. naval blockade on maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the vital

Iran rejects any US control of strait as both sides trade attacks in major threat to negotiations to end war.

SINGAPORE, July 16 (Reuters) - Fewer vessels travelled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first day after the U.S. reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports with both countries escalating strikes across the Gulf,

With the escalating US-Iran conflict, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has fallen, with just seven ships crossing the Strait yesterday compared to 13 the previous day.

More than 11,000 seafarers stuck in the Persian Gulf will begin to exit through the Hormuz Strait in a large-scale evacuation plan backed by Iran and the U.S.

The US has launched hellfire missiles at an oil tanker approaching Kharg Island on the fifth night of strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (Centcom) said it had disabled the merchant vessel by firing a precision missile into the ship’s smokestack after it “ignited multiple warnings”.

By proposing a 20% transit fee, Trump appeared to adopt an argument similar to Iran's, drawing criticism that it contradicted international law and the US's long-standing support for freedom of navigation.

Since the US-Israeli war with Iran broke out, shipping companies have been calling for greater protection for vessels to safely cross through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route that is controlled by Iran.

Chevron intends to sign preliminary deals Friday to invest in two Iraqi oil fields and will join a consortium of investors exploring the construction of a pipeline to connect Iraq’s oil patch with the Syrian coast.