TEHRAN: Tensions around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz have intensified, with Iran warning that it could completely shut the key oil transit route if the US does not stop its military attacks and threats.
Iran has also announced plans to establish a new “restricted maritime zone” covering parts of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. Ships entering the designated area without coordination with Tehran could face sanctions, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said.
Speaking to state broadcaster IRIB on Sunday, Rezaei said Iran would keep the waterway open if Washington stopped threatening or attacking Tehran. However, restrictions would remain in place until the US takes practical steps under what he described as a June peace understanding between the two countries.
Ships entering zone could face sanctions
The proposed restricted zone would stretch towards the Strait of Hormuz from an area where a US naval blockade could begin and would cover parts of the Persian Gulf, Rezaei said.
Ships entering the zone could be placed on Iran’s sanctions list, potentially affecting their insurance coverage and ability to use the waterway in the future, he warned.
Rezaei also rejected US claims that commercial vessels and oil tankers continue to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without disruption. He alleged that some vessels attempting to use routes near Oman were switching off their navigation systems to avoid detection.
However, Iran currently has no intention of sinking such vessels, he said, citing concerns over possible environmental damage in the Persian Gulf and the Strait.
Iran-Oman route under consideration
Iran and Oman are also preparing to establish a new international shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaei said.
The entry and exit points of the proposed route would be decided through an agreement between the two countries, while its management would remain under Iranian control, he added.
Iran says it avoided targeting US bases
Rezaei claimed Iran had identified several US military targets but had deliberately refrained from attacking them.
He said the Tytan base in Jordan and several US positions in Erbil, Iraq, had been identified as potential targets but Iran had chosen not to strike them.
He also claimed Iran had tested an indigenous anti-ship weapon near a US aircraft carrier. According to Rezaei, the test was intended to demonstrate Iran’s ability to target American naval assets and expose vulnerabilities in a potential US blockade.
At the same time, he said Tehran wanted to avoid actions that could cause widespread environmental damage in the Persian Gulf.
Ship traffic through Hormuz plunges
Meanwhile, commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply. Citing Kepler data, a Reuters report said an average of only about 10 cargo vessels a day had crossed the waterway over the previous 10 days. Only two ships crossed the Strait on Saturday and six on Sunday, with most using routes favoured by Iran.
On Sunday, one very large crude carrier and three large bulk carriers entered the Strait. However, no very large crude carrier had exited the waterway since Wednesday, according to the data.
A tanker carrying refined petroleum products from a Saudi port also attempted to leave the Gulf through Hormuz on Sunday before turning back, according to data cited from LSEG.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency has recorded 27 incidents involving missile or projectile attacks that damaged vessels in the region since July 6.
The sharp decline in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has raised fresh concerns over global energy supplies, given the waterway’s critical role in international oil transportation.
