Trump says the Strait of Hormuz is “safe, secure and clean.” Shipping companies are uncertain.

Major shipping companies still see crossing the Strait of Hormuz as a “high risk” and say there is little desire to resume normal operations through the vital waterway until more information is available. The US-Iran deal it’s clear. Many companies say stronger safety guarantees are needed, despite assurances from President Trump of a “totally safe, secure and clean” route that cuts through the challenge.

The US and Iran are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday in Switzerland that will formally remove restrictions imposed by both countries on the Strait of Hormuz. Before the US and Israel started their war with Iran on Feb. 28, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies generally passed through the road.

Iran’s attacks and threats to commercial shipping, launched in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes, have brought that traffic to a halt, sending electricity prices skyrocketing.

Mr. Trump, in a Sunday post on his Truth Social platform announcing the deal with Iran, said: “I hereby fully authorize the free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, at the same time, I authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade.”

“Ships of the Earth, start your engines,” said Mr. Trump. “Let the oil flow!”

A day later, the president said that tankers “were starting to leave, many full of Oil, coming out of the Strait of Hormuz.” He said ships can take a southern route through the strait, which is “totally safe, secure, and clean. There are other places to go, too!!!”

As Mr. Trump called for the resumption of strait crossings, however, the Joint Maritime Information Center, an international naval organization that includes the US military, warned Monday that the US blockade of Iranian ports and ships would remain in effect until Friday, “pending the release” of the ceasefire.

“The threat level to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz remains HIGH due to blockade operations,” the advisory note read.

With these mixed messages, diplomats welcomed the deal between Iran and the US, but remained cautious.

“Our mission remains unchanged”

The announcement of Mr. Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran sparked a huge rally in global markets, with crude oil prices down nearly 5% this week.

Public tracking data shows that ship owners have been redeploying empty vessels in anticipation of a spike in demand when the road reopens, and a handful of tankers have transited the waterway this week, but compared to pre-war levels – about 135 ships per day – it’s only a drop.

Shipping analyst Richard Meade at Lloyd’s List said “none of this should be mistaken for a return to normalcy.”

“Due to the lack of information and the history of overly optimistic assurances, we believe that the security situation in the shipping industry is still volatile, and we still consider it a high risk for ships to start moving right now,” said Jakob Larsen, head of safety and security at BIMCO, one of the world’s largest shipping organizations, said Monday.

“The next step is for ship owners to be assured that passing through the Strait of Hormuz is not only permitted but also safe,” he added.

Many senders seem to expect physical verification.

A spokesman for Mitsui OSK Lines, Japan’s largest shipping company, told CBS News on Tuesday that the company sees “signs that the firing has ended,” but “its policy remains the same: Operations will not resume until safety is sufficiently assured.”

“What will have to happen is not just a simple agreement between the countries involved, but it must be tangible and translated into the actual situation of the Strait of Hormuz, so that ships can pass freely,” said the company’s CEO Jotaro Tamura told the Financial Times.

“Given the experience of the last few months, I think it’s reasonable to assume that it could take at least a few weeks, or if not, a month,” he said.

Even that may be hope.

Returning to normal cargo flow from the crisis “will take about three to four months,” Leon Schulz, a spokesman for Hapag-Lloyd, another major shipping company, told CBS News on Tuesday.

The interim agreement between Tehran and Washington gives “reason for hope” for an improved security situation, Schulz said, adding that “the risk assessment of Hapag-Lloyd ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz is currently under review.”

Danish shipping giant Maersk told Reuters on Monday that it was “too early to assess” the impact of the deal, adding: “At the moment, there are no changes to our operations in the region.”

“Strong Evidence”

The road back to normal in the Strait of Hormuz may be a minefield, literally and figuratively.

Reuters cited shipping industry sources as saying on Monday that removing Iranian sea mines from the crisis could take 40 to 50 days.

“The threat of mines in the area remains an immediate concern as well as derailment, and mine-free routes must be established,” said Larsen, of BIMCO, on Monday.

The text of the agreement between the US and Iran has not been shared by either government, and the practical steps expected in the near future to safely reopen the strait remain unclear.

Over time, Iran has shown the ability over the past 109 days to successfully use the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point, and analysts believe that the risk of another closure may continue.

Marine insurance companies said they were not ready to adjust to wartime price increases. Premiums are “quick to go up, slow to go down,” one marine insurer in Singapore told Lloyd’s List, adding that it would only change its rates after seeing “strong evidence” of improved shipping safety in the region.