Fully restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could take months even if Iran and the United States reach a ceasefire, the head of Japanese shipping company NYK Line, Takaya Soga, told the Financial Times.
According to Soga, the main challenge remains clearing the waterway of mines — as many as 80 may still be present. For now, civilian vessels can safely pass through only two narrow corridors: near Iran’s Larak Island and along the coast of Oman.
“The available routes are extremely limited. We are far from the previous conditions”.
He forecast that once the strait reopens, traffic volumes will initially run at less than half of normal levels. Returning to pre-war figures will require lengthy and dangerous clearing of the shipping lanes.