Ships still cautious about using Strait of Hormuz

Shipping companies remain cautious about sending their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz amid conflicting signals about the agreement between the US and Iran and the presence of dozens of mines.

The status of the vital shipping route will be on the agenda of talks due to between the two parties in Switzerland later today.

After a spike in traffic last week, Iran’s military command said on Saturday it would again close the Strait, alleging Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the US “failing to implement” the first clause of the tentative agreement to end the war.

It accused the US of a “clear breach of its commitments” and announced that “the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the passage of vessels,” in a statement reported by state broadcaster IRIB.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency cited a military source ​as saying today that the Strait ⁠of Hormuz remains closed, and that the Islamic Revolutionary ⁠Guards Corps Navy has not issued permission for any vessels to transit ‌until ⁠further notice.

- CNN