Trump claims 34 ships passed through Strait of Hormuz yesterday – highest since closure began

US President Donald Trump highlighted a significant increase in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuzposting on Truth Social that 34 ships transited the vital waterway yesterday — the highest daily number since Iran’s closure disrupted global shipping.

“34 Ships went through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, which is by far the highest number since this foolish closure began.” — President Donald J. Trump

Trump’s post comes on the first full day of the US naval blockade targeting all shipping to and from Iranian portswhich officially began on April 13, 2026. The increase in vessel traffic suggests that the US operation, supported by more than 15 US warships including an aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyers, is helping restore some freedom of navigation despite Iranian threats to disrupt the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint responsible for roughly 20% of global oil tradehad seen traffic drop dramatically during the recent closure, sometimes falling below 10% of normal volumes. Yesterday’s 34-ship passage marks a notable uptick compared to the near-standstill in previous days.

Context: Blockade Follows Failed Islamabad Peace Talks

The US blockade was announced by Trump after the collapse of marathon US-Iran trilateral talks in IslamabadPakistan. Iran rejected key American demands, including ending uranium enrichment, dismantling nuclear facilities, cutting support for proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and fully reopening the strait.

Vice President JD Vance described the failure as “bad news for Iran much more than for the United States,” while Trump reiterated that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon” and warned the US military is “fully locked and loaded.”

Despite Iran’s vows to disrupt movement and claims that no Gulf port would be safe if its own ports are threatened, the latest shipping data indicates the blockade is not fully halting international traffic — only targeting vessels linked to Iranian ports.