DUBAI — Western-backed naval forces in Middle East Warned ships passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to stay as far away as possible to avoid being seized, in extreme warning amid tensions between Iran and United States.
A similar warning was issued months ago before Iran seized two tankers near Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Gulf Persian through which 20% of the world’s oil transits.
As Iran and the United States appear close to a deal to unfreeze billions of dollars of Iranian funds in South Korea in exchange for the release of five Iranian-Americans detained in Tehran, the warning reveals that tensions are high in the sea. The United States is studying plans to station armed soldiers on commercial ships in the strait to deter Iran as troops, ships and warplanes build up in the region.
Capt. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the US 5th Fleet in the Middle East, said the advisory had been issued but declined to elaborate on its content.
A US-backed maritime consortium called the International Maritime Security Construct “has notified local sailors of the proper precautions to minimize the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we are seeking to de-escalate,” Hawkins said. “Ships are advised to transit as far as possible from Iranian territorial waters.”
Separately, a European Union-led maritime organization that monitors transit in the strait has “warned of the possibility of an attack on a merchant ship of an unknown flag in the Strait of Hormuz in the next 12 to 72 hours,” it said. the private intelligence firm Ambrey.
“Previously, following the issuance of a similar warning, a merchant ship was seized by Iranian authorities under a false pretext,” the firm warned.
The EU mission, called the European Maritime Surveillance Mission in the Strait of Hormuz, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran’s state media did not acknowledge any new plans to stop ships in the strait. The Iranian mission to the United Nations has also not responded to a request for comment.
The Strait of Hormuz is located in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, and its narrowest stretch is 33 kilometers (21 miles). The sea route in either direction is just three kilometers (two miles). Any event that affects it has repercussions on world fuel markets by potentially raising the price of crude oil. Consumers feel the effects when paying for gasoline or other oil derivatives.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AP
