Iran on Thursday announced alternative routes for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of sea mines in the main shipping lanes of the strategically vital waterway.
The temporary measures come as part of a two-week truce, under which Tehran has agreed to partially reopen the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
“All ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are hereby notified that, to comply with maritime safety principles and to avoid potential collisions with sea mines, they should follow alternative routes,” the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by local media. The statement also provided detailed guidance on entry and exit points for the detour routes.
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran was agreed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, just under an hour before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to comply with demands to reopen the waterway.
Since early March, Iran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing a sharp spike in global energy prices.
AFP
