Breaking news: The Strait of Hormuz may be reopening on paper, but shipping industry warnings now point to a slower and riskier reality: the main deep-water route remains constrained by reported mine danger.
Intertanko, the trade group for independent tanker owners, says about 80 mines still need to be cleared from the strait’s central traffic separation scheme before normal commercial shipping can resume. That assessment turns the U.S.-Iran deal from a clean reopening story into a practical maritime safety problem.
The warning matters because Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. CBS News reported that the strait normally carries roughly 20% of global oil and natural gas supply, and that major shipowners have only just begun moving vessels again after being effectively trapped since February.
The main lane is still the problem
The Guardian reported Friday that the center of the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by about 80 mines, citing Intertanko’s marine director, Phil Belcher. Several vessels have started exiting the Gulf after the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, but the industry warning is that the normal route through the middle of the strait cannot safely handle prewar traffic yet.
That leaves ships using smaller routes near Iranian and Omani waters. CBS News, citing Intertanko, reported that the central route is still closed while vessels pass through northern and southern alternatives. Lloyd’s List estimated that 550 merchant ships still need to prepare to exit the Gulf, including 160 tankers, 200 bulk carriers, 60 container ships, and 10 vehicle carriers.
That is the new bottleneck. The political agreement can remove a blockade. It cannot instantly clear mines, restore traffic control, or reassure shipowners that a crowded side route is safe.
Why the workaround is risky
gCaptain reported that maritime organizations are pressing the Trump administration for clearer guidance on how stranded vessels should leave Hormuz safely. Intertanko said the two alternative routes do not match the capacity of the main channel, which handled about 130 to 140 ships a day before the war.
The southern route near Oman is especially sensitive because ships are operating close to rocks, with collision and grounding risks rising as more vessels try to move through narrow water at the same time. gCaptain also reported that GPS interference remains a concern, making navigation less reliable at exactly the moment when traffic may surge.
Those operational details are easy to miss in the larger diplomacy story. They are also the difference between a symbolic reopening and a functioning maritime corridor.
The deal is not the finish line
U.S. Central Command said Thursday that blockade enforcement on ships traveling to and from Iranian ports had stopped, according to CBS News. But the same reporting showed the first wave of transits is still partial and uneven.
For shipping companies, the next questions are practical: who confirms mine-danger areas, who sequences departures, whether naval escorts are available, and whether insurers accept the risk. Maersk had not yet resumed Hormuz transits as of Thursday, according to gCaptain, with executives saying the conditions around reopening may take weeks to clarify.
That means energy markets and Gulf exporters could be living with a messy reopening rather than a quick return to normal. If the mine-clearing timeline stretches, the U.S.-Iran agreement may calm oil markets faster than it moves cargo.
Sources: The Guardian, CBS News, gCaptain.