President Donald Trump says ships are starting to move through the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S.-Iran deal, but maritime authorities are still warning operators that the waterway remains under a severe security threat.
That gap between political messaging and operational guidance is now the most important short-term test of the deal. If the Strait of Hormuz is open on paper but still too risky for shipowners, insurers, and captains, the global energy crunch will not unwind quickly.
CBS News reported Monday that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels remained in place, citing the international Joint Maritime Information Center. The center said the maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz remained severe because of blockade operations and warned mariners not to attempt transit until explicit direction is given.
The advisory landed after Trump said ships were already moving out of Hormuz along a southern route that he described as safe. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, also reported that a U.S. military advisory said the blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect until the signing ceremony planned for Friday.
Why the warning matters
The U.S.-Iran agreement has changed the diplomatic picture, but it has not yet changed every instruction being given to commercial shipping. For tanker operators, that distinction matters. A public statement from a president can move markets immediately; a maritime warning decides whether a captain, insurer, or fleet manager is willing to send a vessel through the narrow channel.
The issue is especially sensitive because Hormuz is not just another shipping lane. Before the war, it carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil flow, plus major volumes of liquefied natural gas. The waterway has been central to the conflict since Iranian restrictions and U.S. blockade operations trapped commercial vessels and disrupted Gulf exports.
CENTCOM said Sunday that blockade operations had redirected 142 commercial ships that complied and disabled nine vessels that did not comply, according to the CBS report. That tally helps explain why shipping firms may wait for written, coordinated guidance rather than rely on optimistic political statements.
Friday is the next checkpoint
The deal is expected to be signed Friday in Switzerland, with a 60-day negotiation window to address longer-term issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, and the future security rules around Hormuz. Until then, the core question is not whether leaders have announced a breakthrough. It is whether the maritime system receives clear orders that the route is safe enough to use.
The Associated Press reported that even if the strait fully reopens, oil and gas flows could take weeks or months to normalize. Hundreds of commercial vessels remain in the Persian Gulf, captains and insurers may move cautiously, and mine-clearing or other safety work could slow the return to normal traffic.
There is also an unresolved toll dispute. Trump has said the opening would be toll-free, while Iranian officials have indicated that fees may still be charged. That matters because any payment structure tied to Iranian-controlled passage could raise legal, sanctions, and insurance complications for shipowners.
For now, the headline is simple: the deal may be real, but Hormuz is not yet normal. Until maritime authorities downgrade the threat and give ships explicit clearance, the reopening remains a promise more than a restored shipping route.
Sources: CBS News, Al Jazeera/Reuters, The Associated Press.