Mine Clearing Mission In Strait Of Hormuz To Take Atleast 50 Days

The U.S. and Iran have reportedly signed the peace deal digitally, signalling that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen soon.

However, according to maritime security sources, clearing the naval mines in the waterway could delay the resumption of normal operations by 50 days.

Before the U.S-Iran war started, Hormuz handled 20% of the world’s daily oil and gas supplies.

The ongoing blockade by Iran and then the U.S trapped millions of barrels of oil in the Gulf, leading to a depletion of oil reserves and pushing global stockpiles towards their lowest levels since 2003.

While analysts say that the number of mines remains unknown, according to estimates, Iran has around 1000 naval mines.

Germany, along with the U.S reported suspected mine fields, and even Oman recently issued an advisory after noticing a floating mine.

Mines are not only dangerous for a ship or its crew, but they could also lead to an environmental catastrophe if they explode beneath an oil tanker or a chemical products tanker carrying dangerous, flammable cargo.

Additionally, a supertanker and its cargo are worth hundreds of millions, hence shipping companies and insurers don’t want to risk a total financial loss or crew deaths until authorities guarantee the waterway is completely safe for transit.

A potential fire on one vessel could endanger a nearby ship as well, since hundreds of vessels currently remain stuck in the narrow strait.

This would also endanger the lives of thousands of seafarers on those commercial ships.

Though the U.S. and Iran did allow a few ships, especially oil and gas tankers, to pass through the strait, the current traffic of 12-15 ships is low compared to the pre-war average of 120 to 140 ship crossings daily.

An international naval mission including the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany aims to clear the Hormuz of mines using drone boats, warships and conventional minesweepers.

Restoring global supply chains will take months, not days, experts highlight.