The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization said Friday that approximately 80 mines remain in historic shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the challenge of restoring normal operations in the critical oil transit route.

The Iran war created two alternative shipping channels through Hormuz. One route follows Oman’s coast and is coordinated by the United States. A separate Tehran-controlled route runs closer to Iran. The middle corridor, known as the Traffic Separation Scheme, is believed to contain explosives.

The presence of explosives has raised concerns among shipowners and crews responsible for transporting Middle East oil, gas and other cargoes to global markets.

Following an interim US-Iran peace deal last week, the shipping industry has called for authorities to restore the old channel. The mine-clearing process is expected to take weeks.

Under the peace agreement terms, Iran is responsible for removing the mines. Tehran has alternated between stating that vessels can transit freely and requiring Tehran’s authorization for passage.

One vessel came under attack on the Omani route Thursday, prompting other ships to turn back. The incident led the IMO to cancel plans to evacuate freighters that have been stuck inside the Persian Gulf for months.

The peace deal has helped restore exports from the region to about 80% of pre-war levels in recent days. More tankers were observed transporting cargoes out of the Persian Gulf Friday.

Last week, Pakistan, which coordinates navigational warnings in the area, reported detecting a mine near Oman. The US navy previously stated that the southern route is free of mines. Earlier in June, the UK and France developed plans to lead a multinational mine-clearing mission in the strait.

Source: Investing.com