Western warnings for ships to approach Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz

Naval forces from Western countries operating in the Gulf region have issued a stark warning to ships navigating the strategic Strait of Hormuz, urging them to avoid entering Iranian territorial waters to avert the risk of seizure. 

Separate statements were released on Saturday and Sunday, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

Tim Hawkins, the spokesperson for the US Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain, conveyed on Sunday that ships had been advised to keep "as far away as possible from Iranian regional waters" to minimize the chances of being captured.

The international coalition for maritime security and the safeguarding of sea lanes, known as the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) and led by the United States, is actively communicating appropriate precautionary measures to regional mariners. These measures are aimed at reducing the potential for ship seizures amidst the current regional tensions, which the coalition seeks to deescalate.

The coalition, established in 2019, comprises 11 nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and the Seychelles. Its mission is to ensure shipping security in the Middle East region, according to its official website.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also confirmed late on Saturday that it had been informed of a "heightened threat" in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime passage through which one-third of the world's seaborne oil transits.

The agency advised all passing ships to exercise caution and promptly report any suspicious activity to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

Moreover, the maritime security company Ambrey issued a statement on Saturday afternoon, disclosing that "Greek authorities, supported by the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) mission and US diplomatic officials, have warned of a possible attack on a merchant vessel flying an unknown flag in the Strait of Hormuz within the next 12 to 72 hours."

As of the time of this report, Iranian authorities have not yet responded to these warnings.

These developments come in the wake of the recent prisoner exchange agreement between the United States and Iran, accompanied by the release of Iranian funds frozen for humanitarian purposes. The deal had raised hopes of reducing tensions between the two adversaries.

Notably, the United States dispatched over 3,000 sailors to the Middle East on August 7th as part of a plan to bolster military presence in the region. This move was explicitly aimed at deterring Iran from the seizure of ships and oil tankers.

In recent years, Washington and Tehran have exchanged accusations following a series of incidents in the Gulf waters, including mysterious attacks on vessels, the downing of drones, and the seizure of oil tankers.

Last month, the US Navy announced that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had detained a commercial vessel "suspected of being involved in smuggling" in international waters in the Gulf, shortly after accusing Iran's naval forces of attempting to seize two commercial oil tankers off the coast of Oman.

In late April and early May of the previous year, Iran had also seized two oil tankers within a week in the Gulf waters.



AFP