Japanese shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines does not expect shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz to resume before the end of 2026 as risks remain above acceptable levels, president and chief executive Jotaro Tamura said, according to Bloomberg.
“Given the current situation, it’s difficult to see operations resuming in any form by the end of the year,” Tamura said. The assessment pushes back MOL’s previous planning assumption that navigation around Hormuz would gradually resume from October 2026 and return to normal in January 2027.
Tamura said the resumption of crossings “is likely to be pushed back”, although it remained difficult to determine by how much.
MOL would need confidence that safe passage could be sustained across multiple voyages before restarting regular transits, rather than assessing risk vessel by vessel and day by day.
Tamura also said sailing with vessel transponders switched off should not become normal practice because that would mean operating on the assumption that ships could be attacked.
The Joint Maritime Information Center on September 3 maintained its SEVERE threat rating for the Strait of Hormuz and assessed deliberate hostile action against shipping as highly likely under current conditions.
Commercial traffic remained well below normal levels amid attacks, attempted attacks, drone overflights, surveillance of merchant vessels and radio hailing.
The assessment followed an August 31 attack on tanker SIDR during an eastbound transit of the strait. Two crew members were killed.
About 6m to 8m barrels of crude were crossing Hormuz each day as of last week, before the latest attacks. Japan sourced more than 90% of its crude from the Middle East before the disruption, while refiners have since sought alternative supplies and routes.
Tamura said MOL was seeing stronger demand linked to crude supplies from the US and West Africa.