Hapag-Lloyd says shipping through the Gulf may take up to two months to move back toward normal patterns even after the US-Iran ceasefire, underscoring how disruption costs and operational caution are likely to outlast the first diplomatic breakthrough. The warning suggests that reopening the Strait of Hormuz on paper is only the first step, with liners, tanker operators and cargo owners still needing time to restore schedules, reposition vessels and judge whether security conditions are stable enough for routine transits.
TankerMap data shows how widely vessel deployment is already spread while markets wait for clearer direction. The platform tracks 4,105 vessels in total, including 904 LNG carriers and 3,201 crude tankers, across 155 energy ports worldwide. Live tracking on Wednesday showed LNG ships such as CLEAN SIROCCO LNG at anchor near Sweden, SEAPEAK GALICIA LNG near the Cadiz area and HLS CARTAGENA LNG underway in the eastern Atlantic, highlighting how operators are leaning on alternative positioning and delayed decisions well beyond the Gulf itself. Even with a truce in place, shipping costs and routing uncertainty may stay elevated until confidence returns across the corridor.