The Association of Independent Oil Carrier Owners said that the central shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz is still blocked by about 80 naval mines that need to be cleared.
Some ships began leaving the Persian Gulf through this strategic shipping route on June 19, after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding.
However, maritime transport experts believe that maritime activities through the Strait of Hormuz cannot soon return to normal, even if the ceasefire is maintained, because there are still many naval mines and other obstacles.
The main shipping route passing through the middle of the Strait of Hormuz is still closed and very dangerous. According to the latest data we have received, there are currently about 80 naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. This is a very large number and it will take quite a long time to handle" - Mr. Phil Belcher, maritime director of the Intertanko Association of Independent Oil Carrier Owners, said.
During the conflict, Tehran dropped naval mines at the central maritime channel belonging to the maritime traffic diversion system between Iran and Oman, established in 1968, to limit the movement of oil tankers and other commercial ships.
About 20,000 crew members were trapped on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. However, some ships still turned off their signal transmitters and passed through Hormuz at night in the area near the Oman Sea with support from the United States. Other ships paid to pass through Iranian waters under the "Tehran toll station" mechanism.
The maritime transport industry is hoping to soon restore the use of standard maritime routes. Before the conflict, about 130 ships per day passed through the strait safely. This is also the gateway to transport about 20% of global oil consumption.
It's like an expressway where the main lane is closed, forcing all vehicles to enter the emergency lane," Belcher said.
He emphasized the need to soon reopen the main route to ensure that large volumes of ships can circulate safely.
One of the major risks today is the risk of ships stranding due to ships having to go close to the southern coastal reefs near Oman. With a large number of ships trying to pass through narrow areas of the strait, the maritime transport industry also warns of an increased risk of collisions.
This danger is even more serious due to signal interference during the conflict. This electronic intervention makes the navigation and navigation systems on the train operate unstable, causing many trains to almost have to move in a state of information blindness.
A collision, stranding or sinking of a ship could cause further major shocks to global trade. The container ship Ever Given incident once blocked the Suez Canal for a week in 2021.
Currently, there are still nearly 600 ships believed to be anchored in the Persian Gulf after being stranded since February, which means that the congestion situation will take a long time to resolve.
Mr. Richard Meade - Editor-in-Chief of Lloyd's List maritime data firm, commented: "We are in an unprecedented situation. I don't think transportation through this strait will return to normal this year.
