BlockBeats News, April 17th. According to WSJ, a shipping industry analyst stated that Iran’s Foreign Minister announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for vessels using Iran’s designated route. However, this does not reassure the shipping industry that maritime activities through the strait can resume.
Lloyd’s List Editor-in-Chief Richard Meade said, “From a shipping perspective, this is indeed promising, but currently it does not provide anyone with enough clear information to make any decisions immediately.”
The Foreign Minister of Iran’s statement did not specify whether Iran still plans to charge tolls for passing vessels.
Analyst Nightingale mentioned in a post on X platform that Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi had an important additional note. He said the Strait of Hormuz is open through a “coordinated route.” So, does this mean that the previously assumed mined normal route is still off-limits? This is far from truly opening the Strait of Hormuz. In fact, the word “coordinated” implies mandatory communication with Iran before passage, which may give some shipowners pause before sending vessels through. This cannot be considered fully open.
