TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday announced alternative routes for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk posed by sea mines in the main shipping channel of the strategic waterway.
Tehran has agreed to temporarily reopen the strait — through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply typically flows — as part of a two-week ceasefire arrangement.
In a statement carried by local media, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards instructed vessels to use designated alternative entry and exit routes to ensure maritime safety. The advisory warned that ships should avoid the main transit zone to reduce the risk of collisions with sea mines.
The United States and Iran reached the temporary truce overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, just under an hour before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for military action if Tehran failed to agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had effectively blocked the crucial shipping lane since early March, a move that triggered sharp increases in global energy prices.
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