Iran demands 48-hour Hormuz notice as US envoys land in Switzerland for nuclear talks
Iran imposed a 48-hour advance notice for Strait of Hormuz transit on Friday, sending shipping traffic back down, while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner converged on Switzerland for the first round of nuclear negotiations.
Diplomatic push
US envoy Steve Witkoff was en route to Switzerland on 20 June, where Jared Kushner was already present, for the first round of nuclear negotiations with Iran, Axios reported. The signing ceremony planned for 19 June in Switzerland was cancelled by Iran, according to Le Figaro. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to tour the Gulf next week, with stops in Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, and will attend a GCC foreign ministers summit.
Strait transit rules and traffic
On 19 June, Iran's maritime authority mandated a 48-hour advance transit request for all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, even after the waterway's reopening under the Iran-US framework agreement. The PGSA also published new safe-route maps that moved navigation lanes south of earlier routes but still north of the pre-conflict lanes. Traffic slowed immediately: by 17:30 GMT, only 8 commodity-carrying vessels had crossed, compared with 22 over the whole previous day. Thursday had seen 25 commercial ships transit, the most since mid-April. Empty trucks lined up for kilometres outside Khor Fakkan port, while empty tankers hesitated to re-enter the strait.
- Iran cancels signing ceremony in Switzerland (Le Figaro)
- Iran mandates 48-hour transit notice and publishes new safe routes (La Libre)
- JMIC lowers strait risk level from severe to moderate (La Libre)
- Pakistani Navy confirms naval mine off Oman (La Libre)
- US envoy Witkoff en route to Switzerland for negotiations (Axios)
Mine threat and demining
The US and others accuse Iran of mining the strait; the Washington Post reported about 20 mines in an area vessels still avoid. For the first time since the conflict began, the Pakistani Navy confirmed a naval mine four kilometres off Oman's coast. The Joint Maritime Information Center lowered the risk level from "severe" to "moderate" but cautioned that mines remain.
The agreement promises full security within 30 days, but the Washington Post suggests demining could take six months.Navigators must be aware of mines.
Toll ambitions and future security
The accord guarantees toll-free passage for commercial ships only for the first 60 days, after which Iran will open a dialogue with Oman on future administration and possible transit fees. This has raised uncertainty over tariffs and procedures. For longer-term protection, France and the UK have proposed a coalition of around 20 countries to secure the strait.
Oil market pressure
Around 120 million barrels of crude remain stuck in the region, roughly one day of global consumption, according to Kpler analyst Homayoun Falakshahi.
The US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports on 19 June, but 788 ships are still inside the Persian Gulf, per Radio France's verification unit.The big question is whether empty tankers will risk re-entering. It will take two to three months before traffic returns to complete normal.
