About 90 ships including oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war with Iran and it is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when the waterway has been effectively closed,

Iran has scared off most ships from the Strait of Hormuz, leaving some ships to pass through, while most continued to wait outside the Gulf.

DUBAI, March 18 (Reuters) - Iran's stance against the development of nuclear weapons will not significantly change, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera in remarks relayed by Iranian media on Wednesday,

With oil markets paralyzed by the U.S.-Iran war, the Trump administration says it could escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz — a massive undertaking that experts say could already be in the preparatory stages.

U.S. forces used 5,000-pound deep-penetrator munitions on Iranian missile sites along the country’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command, which is overseeing U.S. military activity in the Middle East.

The head of the International Maritime Organization has said that naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz will not “100 per cent guarantee” the safety of ships attempting to transit the critical waterway.

The strategic shipping lane carries a fifth of the world's oil. Analysts warn prolonged disruption could send fuel prices soaring and trigger a global economic slowdown.

The Strait of Hormuz in Iran has been in a chokehold as ships passing having feared attacks, causing a surge in global energy prices.