Live updates: US and Iran will ‘stand down for now’ and talks ‘on track,’ US officials say

Key Points:

• Since Thursday, 124 commodity vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz, a four-day total comparable to the pre-war daily average of over 100 ships, according to Kpler data tracking tankers, dry bulk, LNG, and LPG vessels.
• Renewed tensions between the US and Iran have stalled maritime traffic through the strait, with recent exchanges of fire and missile strikes raising uncertainty and risks for commercial vessels navigating competing routes controlled by Iran, Oman, and a central corridor.
• The US and Iran have agreed to "stand down for now" after recent hostilities, with further talks scheduled in Doha, Qatar, to discuss the fragile US-Iran agreement aimed at reopening the strait and easing sanctions, though Iran insists on including Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon as part of any final deal.
• In Lebanon, ongoing Israeli military operations against Hezbollah continue to strain regional peace efforts, despite a recent agreement for Lebanese forces to gradually take control of southern zones, with Hezbollah maintaining a strong presence.
• The complex political situation and unclear control over transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz complicate efforts to restore pre-war trade levels, as ship operators face threats from both Iranian-controlled waters and potential Western sanctions.