Strait of Hormuz: Mines and Dual Transit Regime Complicate Return to Normal

The Strait of Hormuz is open again, but shipping companies are returning to a waterway that looks very different from the one that existed before the war.

Commercial traffic is slowly recovering following last week’s U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. Oil tankers, LNG carriers and dry bulk ships are moving through the Strait again after months of conflict, blockade and intermittent closures. But two major issues remain unresolved: mines are still present in and around the shipping lanes, and vessels now face a choice between an Iranian-controlled northern route and a U.S.-backed southern corridor.

U.S. Central Command said Saturday that commercial traffic