00:00Right now, all eyes are on the Strait of Vermouth, the most important choke point in this conflict.
00:05So which ships are actually passing through?
00:07Maritime traffic remains severely disrupted, down by around 95% compared to normal levels.
00:13Before the war, the straits saw 138 to 151 vessels per day.
00:18That has now dropped to just 4 to 6 vessels daily in March.
00:23With a brief spike on March 28th, when 20 vessels passed, one of the busiest days since the conflict began.
00:28Iran continues to insist the strait is open, but has restricted access for ships it considers hostile,
00:34especially those linked to the US and Israel.
00:36Instead, passage is mainly allowed for friendly countries like China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan.
00:43Most ships passing through are Iran-linked vessels, the largest group,
00:47followed by Chinese-owned and Indian-linked vessels,
00:49then Greek-owned tankers that have the second highest transit rate,
00:53largely due to some owners risking the crossing for high profits.
00:57Finally, some approved countries like Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Malaysia and Thailand
01:02have been granted specific permission to pass.
01:04Iran has also reportedly begun charging a wartime toll.
01:08Some claim they've demanded up to $2 million per voyage for some carriers,
01:13though how these payments are made remains unclear.
01:16While the US warns it will force the strait open if Iran doesn't comply,
01:19experts say that even if the fighting stops today,
01:23it will take at least two weeks to clear out naval mines before ships can safely pass.
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