IMO Still Advises Against Shipping in Strait of Hormuz Over Mine Risk

The gap between Iran's mine claims and U.S. Central Command's assertion that the lane has been cleared is the crux: the IMO's inability to verify either account means the world's most important oil chokepoint is operating without an independent safety baseline. That ambiguity carries directly into freight and energy markets, where insurers and charterers price risk off official guidance rather than political statements. The open question is whether the IMO's stance shifts once verification is possible, and whether the competing narratives harden into a longer disruption.