Hormuz Crisis: Naval Mines Stall Global Oil Flow as US-Iran Talks Begin in Islamabad

Iran’s ability to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been slowed by the difficulty of clearing naval mines laid during the recent conflict, Reuters reported. This comes as shipping through the waterway remains far below normal and the issue has become a central bargaining point in US-Iran talks.

The vessel traffic through the strait was reportedly running at less than 10% of normal levels on April 9, with only seven ships passing in the previous 24 hours, and that disruption has cut global oil supply by about 20%.

The mine problem has made the reopening far harder than Tehran appears to have expected.

US officials told The New York Times that the mines were deployed in a scattered, poorly documented way, making them difficult to find and remove; Reuters likewise reported that Iran’s IRGC has been warning ships to avoid mine risk and has directed them through narrower routes near Larak Island instead.

That workaround suggests the strait is not yet fully safe or open, even where passage is technically permitted.

Iran has also acknowledged that reopening will depend on “technical limitations,” which U.S. officials interpret as a reference to mine-clearing constraints. Clearing mines is slow and complex even for advanced militaries, and Reuters reported that Washington believes Iran may not have the capacity to clear the strait quickly.

The issue is now tightly linked to diplomacy. President Donald Trump has pushed for the strait to reopen without tolls or other limits, while Reuters reported that Iran has sought to formalize its control over the chokepoint by proposing fees on vessels. The strait is one of the world’s most important energy routes, carrying roughly 20% of seaborne crude oil and LNG, so any prolonged disruption continues to pressure oil markets, inflation and global growth.

The standoff is expected to feature prominently in U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, where Washington is pressing for faster reopening and Tehran is seeking sanctions relief and wider concessions. For now, the mine threat, limited Iranian clearance capacity and continued military tension mean normal shipping through Hormuz remains out of reach.