Iran announced on Thursday alternative maritime routes for ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk posed by sea mines in the main shipping lanes of the strategically vital waterway.
The Iranian authorities have agreed to temporarily reopen the strait, a critical passage through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally flows—under a two-week truce.
“All ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are hereby notified that in order to comply with the principles of maritime safety and to be protected from possible collisions with sea mines…they should take alternative routes for traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in a statement quoted by local media.
The statement also included instructions for an alternative entry and exit route through the strait to ensure safe passage.
The truce comes after heightened tensions in the region, with the United States and Iran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, just under an hour before US President Donald Trump’s deadline to take military action against Iran if it did not comply with demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran had effectively blocked the crucial shipping route since early March, a move that contributed to sharp increases in global energy prices.
The reopening and provision of alternative routes aim to ease the immediate risk to international shipping and restore some stability to global oil markets.
