It may take from 40 to 50 days to clear the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe navigation, Reuters reported, citing sources in Western maritime security companies.
According to the sources, only after the strait is cleared of mines will insurers, shipping operators and oil companies consider the waters there safe for navigation.
The operation to clear the waterway would take weeks, requiring both conventional minesweepers and advanced underwater drones to carry out mine clearing operations and could lead to delays in the supply of tens of millions of barrels of oil to the market.
Earlier, official representatives of the U.S., Iran, and Pakistan, which acts as a go-between, confirmed that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement, which is expected to be inked in Geneva on June 19.
According to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, during a 60-day ceasefire the sides will discuss Iran’s nuclear program, while the U.S. will lift its maritime blockade against Iran from June 15. Apart from that, military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, will cease immediately and permanently.
