With hundreds of vessels still stuck in the Persian Gulf and costs piling up, shipping companies are being whipsawed by uncertainty over how and when the Strait of Hormuz might reopen more than two months into the Iran war. U.S. President Donald Trump first announced an effort in which the U.S. military would “guide” ships through the strait, then paused that to allow time for a deal to end the war. A French-operated ship was damaged attempting to transit the strait. Industry figures say a return to normal transit will take weeks even if there's a deal.