Reopening Strait of Hormuz is a humanitarian imperative

The war involving Iran, launched by the United States and Israel, is approaching its sixth month. Missile and drone attacks on civilian areas have eased from their peak, but the war of rhetoric and the blockade of a vital cargo waterway continue unabated.
The most significant consequence has been the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest routes for shipments of crude oil, fertilisers, chemicals, and other essential goods.
Even in the Sultanate of Oman, prices of essential and basic items have nearly doubled since the conflict began. The rise is driven by shipping delays, higher insurance premiums for vessels in the region, and shortages of raw materials in producing countries that rely on Hormuz for exports.
According to the United Nations, the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the vulnerability of global trade to a single maritime choke-point. Data show sharp declines in exports of energy, fertilisers, and industrial products that normally transit the strait.
Another critical consequence of the attacks on cargo and crude tankers is marine pollution from damaged vessels.
On Monday, the Environment Authority (EA) and the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MoTCIT) said they are continuing efforts to address the grounding of the vessel 'Caroline Bezengi' off the Shaleem and Al Hallaniyat Islands
in the Dhofar Governorate.
The response includes technical measures to contain the oil spill, secure the vessel, and conduct ongoing environmental monitoring and assessment to mitigate risks, protect the marine environment, and ensure navigational safety.
In recent weeks, cautious hopes for a breakthrough in the Hormuz stalemate have emerged. Iran, however, has issued a list of conditions it says must be met before commercial vessels can move freely and global markets can stabilise.
The demands include lifting the US naval blockade and sanctions, withdrawing US military forces from the immediate region, paying war reparations, releasing frozen Iranian assets, ending attacks on Iranian-aligned groups in the region, and halting public threats against Iran.
It is worth recalling that the conflict did not begin over disputes about the Strait of Hormuz. As recently as February 28, commercial ships transited the waterway without restriction.
In June, US President Trump announced that an agreement had been reached to end hostilities, reopen the Strait, and lift the US naval blockade on ships travelling to and from Iranian ports.
The initial memorandum of understanding extended a ceasefire first agreed in April for 60 days, during which both sides pledged to negotiate contentious issues including Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.
With the US maintaining the naval blockade during the ceasefire period, Iran responded by stopping and, in several cases, attacking vessels attempting to cross the Strait without its approval. Insurance rates spiked, shipping lines rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, and transit times increased by up to three weeks.
Wars of this nature benefit no party in the long term, and they rarely reach a logical conclusion. Their primary victims are innocent civilians who have no role in the conflict. Many civilians in Iran and Lebanon have lost their lives directly to strikes.
Beyond that, countless indirect victims worldwide, especially in low-income countries, have been pushed into poverty and debt. Higher fuel costs have raised food prices, disrupted aid deliveries, and strained public budgets already under pressure.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not only an economic necessity but a humanitarian one. Until navigation resumes safely and predictably, the costs will continue to be paid by ordinary people far from the frontlines.