Western Naval Forces Warn Ships Sailing In Hormuz Strait Against Nearing Iranian Waters

A US-led naval coalition in the Gulf has warned vessels in the region to keep away from Iranian waters to prevent seizures, the U.S. Navy said.

The warning reflects that tensions are high around and in the Strait of Hormuz, wherein Iran reportedly seized tankers in late April and also early in May, while Tehran and Washington finalized a deal to free five of the U.S. citizens who were detained in Iran and the U.S. permits $6 billion in Iran’s funds held in South Korea to be unfrozen.

The International Maritime Security Construct is informing regional mariners of important precautions to lower the risks of seizure based on ongoing regional tensions that are sought to be de-escalated, explained Commander Timothy Hawkins, the spokesman for Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet, on Saturday.

The vessels are further advised to sail as far away from the territorial waters of Iran as possible.

About a fifth of the world’s crude oil and oil products sail via the Strait of Hormuz, a significant choke point between Oman and Iran at the mouth of the Gulf.

The agreement to release U.S. citizens from Iran’s prison and permit them to return to the U.S. would help remove an irritant between Tehran and Washington, which remain at odds on problems from Iran’s nuclear program to Tehran’s support for the regional Shi’ite militias.

The U.S. would release Iranians from U.S. prisons as part of the entire deal, Iran’s mission to the U.N. has declared.

References: Economic Times, Reuters, iranintl

Latest Shipping News You Would Like:

Indian Navy Moves Proposal To Acquire 2nd Indigenous Aircraft Carrier After INS Vikrant

Posted on September 21, 2023

India’s Navy has reportedly submitted its proposal to the Indian government to build a second aircraft carrier, per ANI.

Antonis I. Angelicoussis Becomes The First Dual-Fuel VLCC Certified By Green Award

Posted on September 21, 2023

Maran Tankers Management, the Greece’s Angelicoussis Group’s oil shipping arm (which boasts more than 140 vessels) manages Antonis I. Angelicoussis.

Massive Explosion Damages Cargo Ship Near Romania’s Danube Port

Posted on September 21, 2023

Romanian authorities informed that an explosion took place on a vessel close to the Danube port of Sulina on Wednesday.

World War II Era U.S Naval Logbooks Help Fill Critical Gap In Climate Record

Posted on September 21, 2023

A unique volunteer effort for digitizing WWII-era U.S. naval logbooks has been aiding in filling up a crucial gap in the climate record.

Tanker Suez Rajan Involved In The US Seizure Of Iranian Oil Cargo Changes Its Name

Posted on September 21, 2023

Oil tanker, Suez Rajan, seized by the US for transporting Iranian oil and then directed to the U.S. Gulf Coast, was sailing to the Bahamas on Wednesday with a new name.