A small number of commercial vessels have resumed transits through the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime tracking data.

Maritime intelligence firm Windward said eight non-Iranian-flagged ships were detected in the strait on Monday via automatic identification systems. The vessels were among the first to pass through since the Israel and United States military campaign against Iran started late February.

Overall shipping traffic in strait is still down by about 97%, compared to before the conflict erupted, said Windward.

Some bulk carriers have begun rerouting through Iranian territorial waters to exit the Gulf, avoiding standard international navigation channels. Windward tracked at least five ships between March 15 and 16 are taking this longer route, suggesting the emergence of limited workarounds amid continued risks.

“Western-affiliated vessels won’t voluntarily come into Iranian waters, but likely Chinese, Indian and others will,” said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward AI.

The Strait of Hormuz, bordered by Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, is a key artery for global energy flows, handling roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas shipments. The sharp decline in traffic has contributed to oil prices rising above USD100 per barrel.

Iran has issued mixed signals on the status of the waterway. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the strait was “open, but closed to our enemies,” without clarifying how that distinction would be enforced.

The United States has indicated it could act to restore shipping flows. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington did not require international assistance to secure the waterway, after criticising NATO allies for rejecting proposals to deploy a multinational naval coalition to escort vessels though the strait.