PANews reported on April 6th that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has risen to its highest level since the early stages of the Middle East war, as more countries have reached safe passage agreements with Iran. A total of 21 ships passed through the waterway over the weekend, the highest two-day total since traffic began to decline in early March. Although the current number of ships passing through is still far below pre-war levels (approximately 135 ships), more countries have been granted passage permits. A senior oil analyst at Kpler in Singapore stated, "Iran is strengthening its control over the Strait of Hormuz while responding to requests from its partners. Passage still depends on Iran's will, and the situation could change at any time if the conflict escalates." So far, most of the ships granted passage appear to be following routes instructed by Tehran, sailing close to the Iranian coast. However, more ships are beginning to choose routes along the opposite shore.