Traffic levels in the Strait of Hormuz have fallen back from Wednesday’s high, but vessels continue to use a non-Iranian-approved passage despite a ship being struck by a projectile, tracking platforms show according to AFP.

At least 42 commodity vessels — including tankers carrying oil, gas, and dry bulk such as fertilisers — crossed yesterday, Kpler’s tracking platform showed, down from a high of 57 on Wednesday.

Ten of those vessels entered the Gulf, while 32 exited. Half of the 42 vessels used a southern passageway hugging the coast of Oman.

Another 29 commodity vessels had already crossed the strait by this afternoon, 10 coming into the Gulf and 19 leaving, according to Kpler.

Seventeen of those vessels used the Omani route, despite a Singapore-flagged container ship reporting that it had been struck while using the passageway on Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre.