Ships remain at standstill in Strait of Hormuz

(NBC, KYMA) - The U.S. military and Iranian forces have paused strikes over the past few days, as talks continue between the two sides.

However, hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers remain at a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz.

Commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was at a three week low, according to a maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy Sunday, which added that no new attacks had been confirmed in the past 72 hours.

Iran on Sunday said it continued to speak with Oman about managing the safe passage of ships on the strait, which passes between the countries.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said talks had made progress and are continuing.

Most shipping traffic through the crucial passage, that usually handles roughly one-fifth of the world's crude oil, has been halted since early March, when the war started.

Concerns continue about shipping through the strait and now also through another crucial waterway in the region, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait to the Red Sea.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last week threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping there, and fired on at least one Saudi tanker, setting it on fire.