Hormuz Strait Closed Again as Iran Publishes Anti-Mine Safe Passage Route

Hormuz Strait is closed again after a brief reopening tied to a short-lived U.S.–Iran ceasefire. The trigger was Israel’s large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon, which Iran’s IRGC said broke the ceasefire framework. Within hours, shipping volumes fell sharply again, with vessels turning back as access was paused. The U.S. White House argued Lebanon was not covered by the stopfire terms, while Iran maintained that “intelligent management” of the strait is part of the deal—claims not confirmed by the White House. Iran’s Port and Maritime Organization (PMO) then released a new “safe passage route” for the Hormuz Strait waters. Key elements of the plan include shifting traffic away from the internationally recognized TSS main channel and routing ships through controlled corridors that reduce mine and military-control risk. The route highlights: 1) Northern corridor between Larak Island and Iran’s mainland (near the Port of Abbas). 2) Southern corridor along the Oman coastline, described as a diplomacy-coordinated buffer zone. Iran also described the situation as moving toward a “permit-only” navigation regime, requiring coordination with the IRGC navy and adherence to the designated alternative corridors to avoid mines. For traders, this Hormuz Strait closure and the new safe passage route raise near-term geopolitical and energy-volatility risks, which can spill over into crypto via risk-off sentiment and higher macro uncertainty.