Tehran has agreed to temporarily reopen the key waterway, through which one-fifth of the world's oil usually passes, as part of the two-week truce.

At least two ships have since passed through the strait, according to maritime monitor Marine Traffic.

But in a statement sent to AFP, Hapag-Lloyd said that "based on our current risk assessment, we will continue to refrain from transiting the strait".

"Whether the announced reopening will actually hold will become clear in the coming days," the company said.

A Hapag-Lloyd vessel in the Gulf caught fire last month after being hit with shrapnel. The blaze was put out and no crew members were injured.

Six Hapag-Lloyd vessels are currently in the Gulf, according to a report from Germany's RND media group.

They are among the hundreds that have been stranded since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in February.

"We are continuously and very carefully assessing when transit will be possible again," the Hapag-Lloyd statement said.

At least 50 vessels operated by German companies, with about 1,000 seafarers on board, are trapped, according to the German shipowners' association.

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Hapag-Lloyd