Jakob Larsen, BIMCO Chief Safety & Security Officer, today described as “inaccurate” the announcement from 17 April at around 1400 GMT by US President Donald Trump that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open.
“The status of mine threats in the Traffic Separation Scheme is unclear and BIMCO believes shipping companies should consider avoiding the area,” he affirmed.
“This means that the TSS is not declared safe for transit at this point,” Mr. Larsen said.
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also declared today that the Strait of Hormuz was open to all commercial vessels during a 10-day Lebanon ceasefire accord.
But among shipping industry groups showing scepticism, the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association said several things had to be clarified before any ships can transit the strait, including the presence of mines, Iranian conditions and practical implementation.
And the International Maritime Organization issued a similar statement.
“We are currently verifying the recent announcement related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in terms of its compliance with freedom of navigation for all merchant vessels and secure passage,” said Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN agency.
“To sum up the day: The Strait of Hormuz is still not open unless vessels go through the Iranian tollbooth, the U.S. naval blockade of Iran continues, and the dramatic decline in oil prices is caused not by the changing reality on the ground but by market expectations — possibly over-optimistic — that the U.S. and Iran will strike a nuclear deal in the foreseeable future,” reported Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov.
(Image by Dreamstime of Strait of Hormuz)