Overview
- The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 that reopened the strait and set a 60-day toll-free window for commercial traffic.
- Ship movements have risen sharply since the MOU with data showing a jump to roughly 258 transits in the week to June 28 as operators test the corridor.
- France has deployed two minehunters plus frigates and a maritime patrol aircraft, and Britain and France said they will work with Oman and stand ready to deploy a wider Multinational Military Mission.
- Iran has publicly asserted control over passage, warned against extra-regional forces, and signalled plans to press for transit fees, a stance that complicates Western-led demining and escort efforts.
- Mine risk remains high with the maritime threat level at SUBSTANTIAL, demining and convoy work ongoing, and key deadlines — the U.S. lift of blockade by July 19 and the 60-day toll-free period through mid-August — shaping whether flows and markets normalize.