ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The British maritime security monitor on Monday described the situation in the Strait of Hormuz as “volatile,” warning that vessels could face restrictions and urging caution when engaging with Iranian ships and facilities. The advisory followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade on Iran’s maritime traffic.
“These access restrictions will apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an advisory.
The US’s blockade, which took effect Monday evening, could significantly limit Tehran’s ability to export oil -nearly 90 percent of which transits through the strategic waterway.
Trump also said Monday that US forces had destroyed 158 Iranian navy vessels during the Iran-Israel-US war that erupted in late February and lasted nearly 40 days before a fragile two-week ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan last week.
“What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships’, because we did not consider them much of a threat,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform, warning they would be targeted if they approached the blockade zone.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) also reported Monday that the blockade would not be enforced for non-Iranian vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite this, UKMTO warned ships could encounter increased military presence and additional inspection procedures.
For its part, the Iranian military on Monday warned that Tehran will close the waterway completely and target US warships passing through.
“If the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, no port in these waters will remain safe,” the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees Iran’s wartime defense, said in a statement.
Iran effectively shut down traffic through the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the late February onset of the joint US-Israeli aerial campaign, deploying sea mines and intensive monitoring that reduced maritime movement to near zero.
The Strait is a critical global chokepoint, through which more than one-fifth of the world’s energy supplies pass. Its closure has driven oil prices up by 40 to 50 percent and disrupted international supply chains.
Management of the waterway is reportedly a key obstacle in US-Iran negotiations. Other sticking points include Tehran’s uranium enrichment capabilities, with Washington reportedly proposing a 20-year moratorium, according to the American news website Axios.
“If the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will remain safe,” Khatam al-Anbiya said in a statement on Monday.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz almost immediately after the onset of the joint US-Israeli aerial campaign that saw the duo hit thousands of targets across Iran since late February and until the ceasefire was announced early last week.
The Iranian military, through military monitoring and sea mines, effectively brought naval traffic in the waterway to zero.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway through which more than one-fifth of global energy supplies pass. Its closure has led to soaring oil prices by 40 to 50 percent and caused significant damages to international supply chains.
Management of the key waterway remains a key sticking point blurring the prospect of success for US-Iran talks. Other issues include Tehran’s uranium enrichment capabilities, which Washington proposed a 20-year moratorium on, according to a report by the American news website Axios.