Iran internet blackout hits 1000 hours, enters 42nd day – longest on record

Iran-linked vessels have accounted for the majority of recent transits through the Strait of Hormuz following a US-Iran ceasefire, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

At least nine of around 14 vessels that have passed through the strategic waterway since the pause in fighting were linked to Iran, including ships calling at Iranian ports, flying the Iranian flag or associated with Tehran’s maritime network, the FT said.

The report added that overall traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below pre-conflict levels, with industry estimates suggesting commercial flows have yet to fully normalize.

The United Nations Secretary-General welcomed planned US-Iran talks and called on both sides to engage in “good faith” toward a lasting agreement, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday.

Speaking at a press briefing, Dujarric said the Secretary-General encourages the parties to seize the diplomatic opportunity to pursue de-escalation and prevent a return to hostilities.

"I can tell you that the Secretary General welcomes the US-Iran talks that are being mediated by Pakistan and scheduled to start in Islamabad over the weekend. He calls on the parties to seize this diplomatic opportunity to engage in good faith towards a lasting and comprehensive agreement with a view to de-escalation and the prevention of a return to hostilities, "Dujarric said.

US intelligence assessments said Iran still retains thousands of ballistic missiles and is able to recover launchers stored in underground facilities despite recent US and Israeli strikes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The report said Iran’s missile force has been significantly degraded but remains operational, with more than 1,000 medium-range ballistic missiles still in its arsenal from an estimated pre-conflict stockpile of around 2,500.

US officials said more than half of Iran’s launchers have been destroyed, damaged, or buried in underground sites, though many are believed to be repairable or retrievable from fortified mountain complexes.

A US-sanctioned very large crude carrier (VLCC) carrying Iranian oil is anchored near India’s Paradip port and could deliver a cargo of Iranian crude for the first time since 2019, according to shipping data cited by TankerTrackers.

The vessel, identified as Jaya, previously been linked to so-called “identity-switching” practices used by tankers involved in sanctions evasion, according to industry reports.

If discharged, the shipment would mark the first known delivery of Iranian crude to India in several years.

Persian Gulf countries would bear the vast majority of costs under Iran’s proposed toll system for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The report said Iran is seeking to impose charges of up to $2 million per vessel, or about $1 per barrel of oil, in exchange for allowing passage through the strategic waterway.

Because most oil exports from the Gulf pass through the strait, countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would shoulder between 80% and 95% of the total cost burden, the WSJ said, citing estimates from analysts.

The proposal would have only a limited effect on global oil prices but could cost Persian Gulf exporters billions of dollars annually, while raising concerns over the principle of free maritime navigation, according to the report.