As Hormuz ship traffic slips below average, Iran ties reopening the strait to US honoring its commitments

According to a Reuters report carried by Mehr News on Monday, September 14, 2026, shipping data shows vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz early this week has fallen below the previous 10 day average of 14 vessels a day, a decline Reuters attributed to persistent military tensions in the region. In the same report, Iran's foreign minister said the Iran Oman understanding does not mean the strait is reopening, and that hinges on the US returning to the commitments it accepted under the Islamabad memorandum; he added that if the US honors its signed commitments, conditions would allow shipping in the strait to return to normal, while blaming the US naval blockade and economic war as the main causes of shipping insecurity there. Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the same day, as reported by EcoIran, that the agreed Hormuz route with Oman would reopen once the US ends its blockade and hostile actions.