Iran warns ships against using unapproved routes in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's military command has warned ships in the Strait of Hormuz that using unapproved routes could trigger an immediate and forceful response. The warning was issued on Thursday by the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, according to a statement carried by a semi-official news agency. It adds fresh tension around one of the world's most important shipping lanes, where a large share of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passes.

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The military said any vessel that fails to comply with designated routes or ignores navigation protocols in the strait would endanger its own safety. It did not say what prompted the warning. The statement came a day after Qatari mediators said indirect talks between US and Iranian officials had made positive progress towards a peace deal.

The warning also followed a security dialogue in Bahrain led by US Central Command, during which regional leaders said they supported the free flow of commerce through the strait. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, criticised that forum and said it could not establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf. He said regional security would come through an end to outside intervention, US withdrawal from the area, respect for sovereignty and acceptance of new geopolitical realities.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow and strategically vital waterway linking the Gulf to the open ocean. The supplied material says it carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February. That makes any threat to navigation there significant for energy markets, shipping insurers and governments that depend on uninterrupted maritime trade.

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The warning also fits a pattern described in the supplied material. Iran agreed in a memorandum of understanding signed with the United States on June 17 to make its best efforts to arrange safe passage for ships in the strait. At the same time, Tehran has repeatedly threatened vessels that do not use its preferred route close to the Iranian shoreline.

The material also says at least 49 attacks on commercial vessels have been recorded in the strait since the conflict escalated, underlining how exposed the route remains. What remains unclear is whether the latest warning will be followed by any operational action at sea or whether it is intended mainly as a political signal during sensitive talks. It is also not clear which routes Iran considers unapproved in this case.

The next developments to watch are any response from shipping operators, further statements from US or Iranian officials, and whether the indirect negotiations or regional security discussions change the risk to traffic through the strait.

#Iran #StraitofHormuz #shipping #energysecurity #USIrantalks

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