International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez projected that even if Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz, it could take up to several months before ships can pass freely again.
According to the Nikkei on the 19th, Secretary-General Dominguez met with reporters at the IMO headquarters in London, U.K., on the 17th and stated accordingly, citing the time needed to remove mines laid by Iran and to implement safety measures.
Dominguez predicted that even if Iran fully opens the strait, it will take weeks to months for navigation to return to normal. That is because it is expected to take considerable time to build cooperation frameworks with countries capable of assisting in mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz and to carry out the actual clearance work.
On the 17th, after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced a truce between Israel and Lebanon, Iran declared the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, but the next day the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would retake control of the strait and attacked two ships that were attempting to pass through it.
Dominguez said that once safety is secured, about 2,000 ships and 20,000 seafarers stranded in the strait will be evacuated in stages, adding, "Normal trade resumption will take place after that." He also expressed concern, saying, "This needs confirmation, but it appears that the 'separation scheme' set by the IMO is not being properly applied in the Strait of Hormuz at present."
In 1968, the IMO, Iran and Oman officially adopted the traffic separation scheme (TSS) for the narrow channel of the Strait of Hormuz to prevent ship collisions by separating inbound and outbound lanes and placing a buffer zone about 3.2 km wide between them.