Singapore, Aug. 7 (SANA)Shipping traffic through theStrait of Hormuzdeclined this week as shipping operators and markets monitored developments related to talks betweenIranand the Sultanate of Oman over the possible reopening of the strategic waterway.Reuters, citing ship-tracking data from Kpler, reported that 33 vessels transited the strait between Monday and Thursday, compared with 50 vessels during the same period last week.According to the data, four vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, including a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) carrying about two million barrels of Iraqi Basrah crude, two liquefied petroleum gas carriers and one bulk carrier.The data showed that six crude oil tankers had exited the strait since the beginning of the week, while 21 vessels had entered.Shipping sources said Chinese and Indian refiners had sought to benefit from discounts on Iraqi Basrah crude, while vessel movements remained limited due to shipowners’ concerns over navigation risks in the area.Kpler data also showed that 26 vessels transited the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea on Thursday, compared with 19 vessels the previous day.Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had typically ranged between 130 and 140 vessels per day before the recent military escalation involving Iran, Israel and theUnited States. Shipping markets continue to monitor developments related to efforts to restore normal transit through the waterway.