The Strait of Hormuz has officially reopened to navigation, but the return to pre-conflict normalcy is expected to be gradual and uneven.
While the waterway is technically open, vessel traffic remains heavily constrained by a persistent labor crisis rather than physical blockades.
Maritime experts indicate that the 'toll' of navigating the corridor is likely to become the new normal, driven by crew reluctance rather than military closure.
Dimitris Maniatis, a maritime expert, notes that it is primarily the crew members who are refusing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz or operate anywhere in the Persian Gulf.
This resistance persists even when shipping companies offer double pay, a practice that has become common in the current market.
The human element of risk aversion is proving to be a more durable constraint on trade flows than the geopolitical tensions that initially triggered the disruption.
This development complicates the market's pricing of a swift recovery in regional energy flows.