Liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers have transited the Strait of Hormuz five times over the past two weeks, AFP reports citing maritime tracking firm Kpler.

This is up from just one between March 1 and April 21, after the Middle East war largely halted traffic through the strategic waterway.

Normally in peacetime, 20 per cent of global seaborne LNG passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

“LNG operators have remained highly cautious about transiting the strait given the high value of the vessels and the relatively limited size of the global LNG fleet,” Laura Page, a Kpler analyst, tells AFP.

The five crossings recorded since April 22 have involved four LNG tankers linked to the United Arab Emirates.

All kept their transponders off as they navigated the strait.