Just under 100 ships have passed thorough the Strait of Hormuz since the start of March, according to data analysed by BBC Verify.

For centuries, an Omani exclave has been defined by a peculiar duality: rugged isolation and proximity to one of the world’s most important trade routes.

War in the Middle East continues after the United States and Israel attacked Iran late last month, and Tehran retaliated with strikes against several of its neighbors, including US-allied Gulf states.

The Trump administration is awaiting Iran's formal response to its 15-point peace proposal, as Tehran continues blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

At nub of conflict so far has been Strait of Hormuz. Now a second waterway, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, is at risk as Iran-backed Houthis threaten to enter war.

When looking at a map, the Strait of Hormuz might not seem all that impressive. It’s just a slim waterway squeezed between Iran and Oman. But don't let the size fool you. This narrow passage is one of the most important shipping routes on the planet.

With Iran threatening to attack, points of entry to the strait are ready to turn into sprawling maritime parking lots, filled with idle ships waiting for their escorts.

The proposal comes as global shipping traffic through the strait has sharply declined amid the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

A 54-kilometer corridor through which 20% of the world's oil passes becomes a lesson in the limits of technology in the face of the complexity of reality.