Iran issues maps to guide ships around Hormuz mines, state of strait unclear

Iran has issued new shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz to counter mine threats, even as uncertainty persists over its reopening and ceasefire terms, with Tehran signalling possible future transit fees.

In Short

• Iran warns of sea mine threats in parts of the Strait of Hormuz
• Tehran has agreed to temporarily reopen strait under 2-week truce
• Revolutionary Guards mandate revised traffic patterns for maritime safety

Iran has issued new navigational advisories for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz with the aim of helping ships avoid sea mine threats. The new maps direct shipping traffic through designated routes in the critical shipping lane, through which a fifth of the world's oil supply flows.

It still remains unclear whether the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for ships, with reports last night saying that Iran had shut the crucial waterway over Israeli attacks on Lebanon, something that Tehran believed was in violation of its ceasefire agreement with the US.

Under the agreement, which was announced early Wednesday, the US and Israel are supposed to stop their military offensive against Iran, with Tehran agreeing to allow ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The two-week ceasefire agreement was reached to allow for negotiations to take place for a longer, lasting peace in the region.

In a statement carried by local media and reported by news agency AFP, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said ships must follow revised traffic patterns to ensure maritime safety and avoid possible contact with sea mines. The advisory laid out specific entry and exit corridors aimed at reducing risks for commercial vessels.

Iranian state media, cited by Al Jazeera, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has also urged ships to coordinate closely with its forces while passing through the strait.

Under the proposed plan, vessels entering from the Sea of Oman are to move north of Larak Island before proceeding into the Gulf. Ships exiting the Gulf are advised to pass south of the island and continue towards the Sea of Oman, following the prescribed route to minimise exposure to hazardous zones.

A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran was agreed on Tuesday, with Pakistan mediating the deal, contingent on Tehran halting its blockade of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to President Donald Trump.

An Iranian official told news agency Reuters that a partial reopening of the strategic waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas flows before the conflict began nearly six weeks ago, could take place by Friday, under Iranian oversight.

Iran has signalled that any long-term peace arrangement could include levying charges on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow 34-km channel between Iran and Oman.

With key terms of the ceasefire still emerging, reports remain mixed. Some suggested that Oman has opposed the idea, saying tolls would violate existing agreements, while others indicated a fee system may already be operational.

Even Trump told ABC News that Washington is considering a joint mechanism to impose transit charges on ships using the strait.

- Ends