Western-backed maritime forces in the Middle East on Saturday warned shippers traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to stay as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible to avoid being seized, a stark advisory amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US.
A similar warning went out to shippers earlier this year ahead of Iran seizing two tankers traveling near the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes.
While Iran and the US near a deal that would see billions of Iranian assets held in South Korea unfrozen in exchange for the release of five Iranian-Americans detained in Tehran, the warning shows that the tensions remain high at sea.
Photo: Iranian Army / West Asia News Agency / handout via Reuters
Already, the US is exploring plans to put armed troops on commercial ships in the strait to deter Iran amid a buildup of troops, ships and aircraft in the region.
US Navy Commander Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the Mideast-based Fifth Fleet, acknowledged that the warning had been issued, but declined to discuss specifics about it.
A US-backed maritime group called the International Maritime Security Construct “is notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimize the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we seek to de-escalate,” Hawkins said. “Vessels are being advised to transit as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible.”
Separately, a EU-led maritime organization watching shipping in the strait has “warned of a possibility of an attack on a merchant vessel of unknown flag in the Strait of Hormuz in the next 12 to 72 hours,” private intelligence firm Ambrey said.
“Previously, after a similar warning was issued, a merchant vessel was seized by Iranian authorities under a false pretext,” the firm said.
The EU-led mission, called the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz, did not respond to a request for comment.
Hours later, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which also provides warnings to sailors in the Persian Gulf, issued its own alert.
“UKMTO have been made aware of an increased threat within the vicinity of Strait Of Hormuz,” the warning said. “All vessels transiting are advised to exercise caution and report suspicious activity to UKMTO.”
The Strait of Hormuz is in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, which at its narrowest point is just 33km wide. The width of the shipping lane in either direction is only 3km. Anything affecting it ripples through global energy markets, potentially raising the price of crude oil.
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