Seven cargo vessels passed through the 'Strait of Hormuz' on Thursday. This is down from 17 a day before and below the 15-ship average for the past 10 days, according to preliminary data released on Friday.

Initial data from the shiptracker Kpler at 0315 GMT showed that seven vessels transited, including two medium-range tanks, one VLGC, one Ultramax vessel and?two chemicals tankers.

Four vessels are leaving the strait. These include?the medium range tanker, two chemical tankers and the intermediate tanker. The VLGC and Ultramax, as well as the other medium-range tanker, were entering the Strait.

As some ships turn off their transponders while on a voyage, the?figures? could change.

Iran's war mediators are putting renewed emphasis on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has agreed to create a list of requirements to restore normal traffic, after a Qatari ambassador urged the Iranians respect freedom of navigation.

A senior Iranian source had earlier said that Iran and Oman were still working out the details of an agreement regarding the waterway. This was after Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed the two countries?had?agreed to how they would share control of the Strait of Hormuz and its revenue.

Six vessels entered and 11 vessels exited the Bab el-Mandeb - another major'maritime chokepoint' in the Middle East. (Reporting and editing by Thomas Derpinghaus, Jacqueline Wong, and Emily Chow)

(source: Reuters)