Shipping giant Maersk said on Tuesday that it was close to resuming shipping through the Suez Canal almost two years after terrorist attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen forced many transport companies to avoid the route through the Red Sea that leads to the canal.

Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said no firm date has been set for the company’s ships to resume navigation through the Suez Canal, but it would begin “as soon as conditions allow.”

Maersk said there has been “significant progress” on establishing peace in the Middle East, so the company looks forward to taking steps to “resume navigation and over time normalize the transits on this route,” but it was not yet ready to announce a date.

Clerc said the safety of ship crews remains the “top priority” for Maersk.

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