.TEHRAN, April 9 (V7N) – Iran announced Thursday that ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz should use alternative routes due to the risk of sea mines in the main zone of the waterway.  

The Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that vessels must follow new entry and exit instructions “to comply with the principles of maritime safety and to be protected from possible collisions with sea mines.” The announcement comes as Tehran agreed to temporarily reopen the strait under a two-week truce.  

The United States and Iran reached the ceasefire overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, less than an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate the Islamic republic if it refused to reopen the passage.  

Tehran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz since early March, disrupting one-fifth of global oil shipments and sending energy prices soaring. The alternative routes are expected to ease pressure on global markets during the truce period.  

END/WD/RH