Belgian shipowners remain uncertain about the status of the Strait of Hormuz following an agreement between the US and Iran earlier this week.
The US president announced that the strait is now open for navigation, but few vessels are transiting due to concerns over the presence of mines.
“We are waiting,” said Loïc Van Staey, director of the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Union (URAB). He noted that many vessels were likely to observe over the weekend whether others risk crossing the strait before deciding to follow suit.
Belgian shipping company CMB.TECH revealed that some of its vessels were still blocked in the Persian Gulf. CEO Alexander Saverys assured that the crews remained safe and healthy.
According to the US Navy, some 600 vessels are currently stuck in the Persian Gulf.
Iran has stipulated that all ships wishing to pass through the strait must submit a request to Iranian authorities.
As part of the US-Iran agreement, Iran, in coordination with other Gulf nations, is tasked with managing maritime operations in the Strait of Hormuz. To facilitate this, Tehran has established the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA).
Maritime tracking data from AXSMarine reported that 25 commercial ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a figure five times higher than the average for the first ten days of June and the highest since mid-April.
