Shipping
Scouring the Strait of Hormuz for mines could take weeks
Ensuring the Strait of Hormuz is safe from mines could delay a return to normal shipping traffic by weeks following a deal to reopen the waterway. The operation by conventional minesweepers and state-of-the-art underwater drones could continue for 40 to 50 days before insurance, shipping or oil companies are confident enough to sail through, according to assessments from five Western maritime security sources. This could potentially hold up tens of millions of barrels of oil, with the strait having handled 20% of the world's daily supply of oil and liquefied natural gas before the war.
