Japanese shipping giant MOL (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) warned international trading firms that sea-mine threats in the Strait of Hormuz could lead to a prolonged and unprecedented shutdown of the strategic shipping lane. The company said clearing, locating, and neutralizing the mines could take months, and warned that the escalation in mining operations could paralyze tanker and ship traffic, partly because international insurers are universally refusing to insure vessels in an area under an active and ongoing mining threat.
Japanese shipping conglomerate MOL (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) issued an unusual public advisory to international trading companies on Sunday morning warning that the sea-mine threat in the Strait of Hormuz could produce a prolonged, unprecedented shutdown of the strategic shipping lane.
According to the company, the operation to locate, clear, and neutralize the mines is expected to take months. MOL further stated that the intensification of mining operations would completely paralyze tanker and cargo traffic through the strait, in part because international insurance bodies are universally refusing to insure vessels in an area under active and continuous mining threat.
The warning comes as the situation at the strait has steadily deteriorated. As The Zioneer has reported, the IRGC declared full control of the waterway and threatened force against unauthorized vessels on June 25. Earlier reports noted a massive vessel jam at the strait in mid-June after Iran announced a total closure. The US military has warned stranded ships not to attempt crossing without authorization ahead of a reported US-Iran agreement.
The mine threat represents a new dimension of the crisis, adding a long-term denial-of-access mechanism beyond the immediate blockade. It remains unclear which party laid the mines or whether MOL's assessment reflects intelligence shared by naval forces in the region.
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