The US military has stated that vessels whose voyages between ports in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz are not necessary should steer clear of the relevant waters as regional tensions mount.
The US Naval Forces Central Command issued a notice on Wednesday through the Joint Maritime Information Center saying that "in light of the current geopolitical situation, vessels that do not need to transit the area should stay as far away as possible to avoid unnecessary delays in their voyages."
The notice also said that "vessels transiting the area are advised to allow additional sailing time to account for increased vessel traffic and military blockade enforcement operations."
It remains unclear what prompted the US military to issue this notice. The last time the US military publicly issued a similar advisory was in mid-July, when it began enforcing a blockade on Iranian shipping. At the time, the US said the blockade would not prevent neutral vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but that ships should be prepared to be questioned about their sailing intentions.
In recent months, vessel traffic through this shipping chokepoint has rebounded, with shuttle tankers carrying crude oil accounting for a large share. These tankers make repeated trips between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, transporting crude oil to the Gulf of Oman and then transferring it to other tankers waiting there that are unwilling to risk crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, dozens of crude oil tankers willing to take the risk of crossing the strait have helped push crude exports out of the Persian Gulf back to near pre-war levels, while the US blockade has driven Iranian crude exports down to close to zero.
On the other hand, Iran has continued to intensify attacks on vessels, with nearly 30 attacks in October, reaching the highest level of the war. The latest US notice said that neutral vessels sailing between these neutral ports, carrying neutral cargo or sailing empty, may be questioned, boarded, and searched to confirm whether their sailing intentions involve violating blockade rules.
Comments