Strait of Hormuz is open: Swedish-owned ships remain

Evelina Montgomery

Published 21.08

         

        Erik Hånell. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT/Pressbild

The Strait of Hormuz is open, the US and Iran announced on Friday afternoon.

But when and how the ships will get through the strait is unclear.

– We will see how this develops in the coming hours, says Erik Hånell, CEO of the shipping company Stena Bulk.

On Friday afternoon, both the US and Iran came out and said that the Strait of Hormuz is now open.

But the Swedish-owned ships from Stena Bulk are still stationary in the strait.

– If the opening of the strait becomes a reality, new orders will come in and then we will get a clearer picture, says Erik Hånell, CEO of the shipping company.

When it is safe for Stena Bulk's cargo ships to leave the strait, they will continue towards their intended destinations.

– We have continuous contact with the crews on board and safety is the most important thing, he says.

The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since the war in Iran broke out over a month ago. But when the ceasefire between the US and Iran came into effect just over a week ago, the ships got ready to leave the strait.

But nothing happened.

And Erik Hånell still does not dare to comment on what awaits the Swedish ships. First and foremost, he wants to see a plan for how it will work when the ships move out of the strait.

– We will see how it develops over the next 24 hours. There are many details that need to be sorted out.

It has been a stressful few weeks for the crews in the strait, but Erik Hånell says everyone is doing well under the circumstances. During the time the passage has been closed, it has been possible to send out food and also replace crew members if necessary. They have not had to do that so far.

Once the crews return home, it is important for Erik Hånell to meet everyone who has been on board.

– They have been under a lot of pressure and stress, so there will be crisis management if they need it.