CBS News took a boat into the Strait of Hormuz. Here’s what we saw.
We went to the Strait of Hormuz. Here’s what we saw. 02:00
Finding a way to enter the Strait of Hormuz took weeks of planning.
We examined maps. We talked through scenarios. How were we going to get in? How would we get out? Who can we call if something goes wrong? So what happens if we run into trouble along the way?
Our plan was to reach one of the narrowest points of the Bosphorus. We’re close enough to see it with our own eyes oil tankers and cargo ships It had been backed up there for weeks.
We made the call when the ceasefire between the USA, Israel and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, came into effect. First round of talks in Islamabad had failed. But the ceasefire was largely holding, and for a moment the risk appeared manageable.
We moved from one Gulf country to another and eventually found ourselves on a coastal road that seemed almost too beautiful for the tensions just beyond the coast.
On one side, there were jagged mountains rising from the ground, completely devoid of vegetation. On the other side, there were clear blue waters stretching towards the Gulf.
Then as the road curved we saw the ships. Not one or two, but dozens. I sit still. To wait.
Two ships near the Strait of Hormuz. / Credit: CBS News
Access to the Strait of Hormuz
It’s easy to forget when you look at that water, Approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes through it. The Strait has become a pressure point in the war between the United States and Iran, turning into a choke point for Iran. global economy.
Access to the waterway has been tightly controlled since the escalation of violence. Journalists don’t need to be in these waters.
So we tried another way.
We asked around disguised as tourists in a small port. Quietly.
We met the Sheriff there. His real name is not used. Sharif is Egyptian and has been working along this coastline for decades. He said in normal times, tourists would line up to take them on cruises. There was almost no one there now.
An empty tour boat. / Credit: CBS News
After some bargaining, he agreed to take us. We paid $120 for two hours.
His boat was a traditional dhow: wooden, weathered, painted brown. The kind that has been used in these waters for generations. Inside, the seats were covered with embroidered cushions.
We climbed aboard.
A friendly encounter
The first thing you notice when you’re on the water is how calm everything is.
The sea is flat. The coastline is dramatic, but still. It’s hard to reconcile what you glimpsed with everything you know about what’s going on here.
Then dolphins appeared. They came alongside the boat and stayed with us, wading through the wake and dipping in and out of the sunlight.
Imtiaz Tyab on a boat in the Strait of Hormuz. / Credit: CBS News
And beyond them the ships. We didn’t have to go far to see them. Within minutes they appeared: tankers, cargo ships, all standing idle.
We did not dare to approach them. A police vehicle was clearly visible in the distance. But at one point, a crew member of a ship that looked like a cargo ship raised his hand.
So we waved to him.
He made a peace sign.
A crew member waves. / Credit: CBS News
Iran and US fight for control
The calmness on the surface of the Bosphorus does not reflect the reality below.
In recent weeks, Iran has moved to assert control over who can pass through the waterway and It was reported that some of it was mined. At the same time, the United States implemented a naval blockade Targeting ships entering or leaving Iranian ports is part of a broader effort to suppress Tehran’s own energy exports after talks collapsed.
The result is not a simple closure. This is something more complex.
Some ships are sailing. Others are waiting. Many are hedging, delaying, or returning altogether.
Even this level of disruption is significant for the global economy. A narrow waterway that carries one-fifth of the world’s oil does not need to be completely closed so it can be shipped by sea. Shock waves in markets.
A ship waiting. / Credit: CBS News
New agreements do not necessarily mean stability
When our time on the dhow was up, we turned towards the shore.
We thanked the Sheriff. I paid him money. He watched as he prepared to head out again if another customer showed up.
On the way back, our phones started burning.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the strait will be completely opened to commercial ships during the ceasefire with Iran. conflict in Lebanon. This agreement, a 10-day pause between Israel and Lebanon, is part of a broader initiative to stop the conflict from spreading further.
At the same time, President Trump has signaled that the United States will continue to put pressure on Iran, including a naval blockade, unless a broader agreement is reached.
Some ships have already started sailing again. But movement here does not necessarily mean stability or a return to normal.
The Strait may be open, at least for now. However, the transition is still controlled. The risks have not disappeared. And the truces that keep things together are temporary.
If a broader agreement is reached, this moment could mark the culmination of one of the most volatile periods for global energy in recent years.
Otherwise, what we see on the water may become the new normal: ships waiting. Others move carefully. Everyone is adapting in real time.
In the Strait of Hormuz, even the calmest water can rest on something much more fragile.
