Representatives from both sides met in Switzerland last weekend for talks aimed at ending the war, which resulted in the United States partially lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
According to Kpler, a maritime information company, the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has increased significantly since the MOU was signed.
The latest data shows that 284 vessels have passed through the route since June 18, the day after the contract was signed. However, this is still far below the pre-conflict average of 138 ships per day.
Vessels recently transiting the waterway include those carrying crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), fertilizer and other goods, Kpler told the BBC.
Qatar and Pakistan mediators said in a joint statement on Monday that the United States and Iran had established a “line of communication” to prevent misunderstandings “with the goal of ensuring safe passage for merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Dimitris Maniatis, CEO of Marikss, a maritime risk advisory firm that works with ships stuck in the area, said there had been a “tremendous change” in recent days with far more ships using the strait.
He said a limited number of ships could transit the northern route with permission from Iranian authorities.
The U.S. Navy also provided guidance to ensure ships navigate southern shipping lanes safe from mines and other obstacles placed since the war, Maniatis said.
However, the number of ships passing through the strait still does not reach the pre-war level of more than 100 ships per day.
Hundreds of ships are believed to still be waiting in the Gulf.
