ll take weeks or months to fully reopen the strait, and the two alternative routes don't have a much capacity as the central passage in the Strait of Hormuz.

 This is like a highway where the road in the middle is closed and you're using that hard shoulder,  Belcher said.  That's now being used as the main route. We need to get back to having the highway open. 

Lloyd's List estimated that 550 merchant ships will need to prepare to exit the Persian Gulf, including 160 tankers, 200 bulk carriers, 60 container ships and 10 vehicle carriers.