Strait of Hormuz: How months of closure creates challenges for ships
Following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping experts warn that vessels left idle for months face significant technical challenges. Issues such as underwater biofouling and engine maintenance requirements mean that restarting maritime operations is a complex and costly process.
Why it matters
It highlights the hidden economic and logistical hurdles of restarting global supply chains after geopolitical tensions subside.
Celebrating the MoU between Iran and the U.S. , President Donald Trump said it was time to start the engines and let the oil flow. Yet one of the biggest challenges facing shipowners and crews lies largely out of sight, beneath the waterline. “Ships are not designed to remain indefinitely idle. Even when stationary, a ship remains a continuously living industrial system requiring maintenance, preservation and regulatory oversight,” says Ajithkumar Sukumaran, retired Additional Director General of Shipping.
The article focuses on technical and logistical maritime challenges rather than political commentary.
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