Shipowners exercised caution Friday as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz thinned significantly, despite Thursday's optimism following a US-Iran agreement to lift blockades. No tankers moved outbound from the Persian Gulf during morning hours, though limited inbound crossings occurred involving an Iran-linked LPG carrier and Norwegian-flagged tanker.

The pullback came amid growing doubts about whether negotiators can resolve contentious details within the 60-day memorandum of understanding period. Cancelled Switzerland talks and Israeli strikes in Lebanon signaled diplomatic tensions. Maritime risk firm Marisks called the failed negotiations a setback to regional stabilization efforts.

Four fully-laden very large crude carriers remained positioned near the strait, with two India-linked vessels advancing while others awaited safer conditions. The Japanese-operated Tenzan, carrying nearly 1.8 million barrels of Das Island crude, disappeared from tracking while navigating toward the waterway.

Authorities maintained warnings about mines in the strait's center, recommending southern routing along the Omani coast. Despite Thursday's emergence of vessels carrying roughly 10 million barrels of oil, approximately 80 million barrels of non-Iranian crude remain stranded in the Gulf as shippers await clearer security assurances.