The Strait of Hormuz could open soon. But will it be safe for ships?
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 June 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
The waterway is critical to global trade, especially oil -- and the blockades imposed on it have shocked energy markets, exacerbating inflation in the US.
But even if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, will shipping companies feel safe to pass through it, given that sea mines could make their operations dangerous?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story. Today, what will it take for oil to start flowing again? |
| 0:09.2 | President Trump and Iran say an agreement has been reached to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. |
| 0:14.8 | It is said to be formally signed on Friday in Switzerland. |
| 0:18.6 | I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now. |
| 0:22.4 | And very importantly, the oil is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket. |
| 0:30.5 | That was President Trump speaking at the G7 meeting on Monday. |
| 0:35.0 | The ongoing Iran war has sent oil prices soaring and has exacerbated inflation |
| 0:40.2 | in the U.S. A lot of that economic pressure is from the near total closure of the Strait of Hormuz |
| 0:46.5 | since the war began almost four months ago. The Iran deal that we made is going to bring a lot of |
| 0:53.1 | success to the world because the oil was really clogged up there for a while. |
| 0:59.0 | Before the war, roughly a fifth of the world's oil traveled through the Strait of Hormuz. |
| 1:04.0 | Now, the traffic is way below that, in part because of blockades put in place by Iran and the U.S. But even if a deal ends those blockades, there's another major issue, safety. |
| 1:15.7 | One major risk is the possibility of sea mines. |
| 1:19.7 | Here's retired U.S. Navy Admiral James DeVritus on CNN in April. |
| 1:24.2 | If I'm the master, the captain of a big 200,000 tonne oil tanker, I'm not enthusiastic |
| 1:31.9 | about having the honor of leading the first convoy through the strait when this thing gets |
| 1:37.2 | cleared up. Someone has to clear those minds. Consider this, even with an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, |
| 1:46.2 | it may take a while for activity to pick up in that crucial waterway. |
| 1:50.2 | What will it take for shipping companies to feel safe? |
| 1:53.7 | After the break, we'll hear from the Chief Safety and Security Officer of a major shipping association. |
| 2:01.4 | From NPR, I'm Elsa Chang. |
| 2:09.0 | It's consider this from NPR. |
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