A fragile shipping recovery in the Strait of Hormuz following a U.S.-Iran deal has been disrupted by an estimated 80 mines in shipping lanes and a renewed attack on a vessel, forcing the UN to pause evacuation operations. Industry leaders warn the mines could delay normal shipping for months.
A cargo ship was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz while using a UN-backed shipping lane near Oman, prompting a UN agency to pause the evacuation of vessels from the Persian Gulf. Iran rejected the evacuation plan and warned that ships transiting without Iranian permission were doing so illegally.
Multiple oil tankers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday using a UN-recommended route despite Iranian threats, as oil prices dropped to pre-conflict levels following US-Iran talks in Switzerland that resulted in partial sanctions relief. One cargo ship was reportedly hit by a projectile during the passage.
The Strait of Hormuz has reopened following a U.S.-Iran agreement, with at least 20 oil tankers carrying 35 million barrels exiting the Persian Gulf. Iran is positioning itself to collect an estimated $40 billion windfall by managing transit through the critical oil chokepoint it had previously severed during the war.
The International Maritime Organization announced an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships and approximately 11,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf for months, following a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States that enables safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer committed the UK to playing its "full part" in reopening the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, following a significant agreement with Iran brokered by US President Donald Trump. The announcement came during G7 meetings where Starmer and Trump met face-to-face.
Oil and LNG tankers have begun transiting through the Strait of Hormuz following an agreement between the United States and Iran to reopen the critical waterway. Vessels from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and other operators are moving shipments to Pakistan, China and other destinations, causing oil prices to decline.
Iranian military forces seized a vessel reportedly operating as a 'floating armoury' near the UAE's Fujairah oil terminal and are taking it toward Iranian waters. The seizure occurred as President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met to discuss keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, with the vessel reportedly owned by a Chinese security firm.
Approximately 30 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing Iran war tensions and attacks on shipping, with a Chinese Cosco supertanker notably crossing without paying tolls at Larak on the day President Trump arrived in Beijing for a summit.
Iran has redefined the Strait of Hormuz as a vastly larger operational zone following the Iran war, according to an IRGC Navy officer, as maritime traffic through the critical waterway has plummeted to just 5% of normal levels under severe restrictions.
A French shipping company CMA CGM container vessel was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, injuring several crew members who were evacuated for medical care. The incident occurred amid ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions disrupting shipping traffic in the strategic waterway.
The UN's International Maritime Organization reported that around 1,500 ships and approximately 20,000 seafarers remain trapped in the Persian Gulf due to the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, facing severe hardship as the standoff continues.
Iran has created a government agency to control and tax vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, as the country simultaneously reviews a peace proposal from the United States and calls for dialogue and diplomacy.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed the US-Iran ceasefire remains in effect despite recent military activity around the Strait of Hormuz, as the Trump administration works to finalize a broader agreement. China's foreign minister expressed concern over the conflict in discussions with Iranian officials.
The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a UN Security Council resolution to condemn Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran reportedly did in response to a US-Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated, that Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz "has already been acknowledged by the United States" and that Tehran will never relinquish its jurisdiction over the waterway, while describing the US naval blockade as an "ill-considered and ignorant decision." A senior Iranian lawmaker also warned that Iran's Yemeni allies are "waiting to block" the Bab el-Mandeb strait if the blockade continues.
President Trump told Axios, that he would not lift the naval blockade on Iranian ports until Tehran agreed to a comprehensive deal ending its nuclear program, formally rejecting Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while deferring nuclear talks. "The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig", Trump said, adding that CENTCOM had also prepared a plan for a new wave of strikes if Iran remained intransigent.
Iran reversed its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after approximately 20 hours, with Iranian gunboats reportedly firing on a tanker. Tehran says the strait will remain closed until the US lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
At least 172 vessels have crossed through the Strait of Hormuz following a US-Iran interim agreement that ended Iran's blockade of the critical waterway, which had stalled global oil shipments and fueled inflation. Questions remain about the long-term stability of the shipping route despite the resumption of traffic.
Iran reclosed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within hours of the ceasefire announcement, with Tehran proposing to charge tolls for passage through the vital waterway. The closure threatens to unravel the fragile truce as both sides dispute terms.
A CMA CGM container ship successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first transit by a major European shipping company since Iran's blockade began. The crossing suggests Iran may be selectively allowing passage to countries not directly supporting the US-Israeli military campaign.
Britain convened a virtual summit with over 40 countries to coordinate action on reopening the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's de facto blockade of the critical oil shipping lane. The UN Security Council is also preparing to vote on a resolution to protect commercial shipping through the strait.
The UN Security Council postponed a vote on a Bahrain-drafted resolution that would authorize the use of defensive force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks. China and France opposed the measure, with veto-wielding China making clear its opposition to military authorization.
The United Arab Emirates is willing to deploy troops and use force to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The UAE is lobbying for a UN Security Council resolution to authorize a multinational force to break Iran's chokehold on the strategic waterway.
