Iran has issued fresh navigational advisories for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, warning of potential sea mine threats in parts of the critical shipping lane and directing traffic through designated alternative routes.
The move came even as Tehran has agreed to temporarily reopen the strait under a two-week truce. The waterway is a key global artery, carrying roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
In a statement carried by local media and reported by news agency AFP, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said ships must follow revised traffic patterns to ensure maritime safety and avoid possible contact with sea mines. The advisory laid out specific entry and exit corridors aimed at reducing risks for commercial vessels.
Iranian state media, cited by Al Jazeera, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has also urged ships to coordinate closely with its forces while passing through the strait.
Under the proposed plan, vessels entering from the Sea of Oman are to move north of Larak Island before proceeding into the Gulf. Ships exiting the Gulf are advised to pass south of the island and continue towards the Sea of Oman, following the prescribed route to minimise exposure to hazardous zones.
A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran was agreed on Tuesday, with Pakistan mediating the deal, contingent on Tehran halting its blockade of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to President Donald Trump.
An Iranian official told news agency Reuters that a partial reopening of the strategic waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas flows before the conflict began nearly six weeks ago, could take place by Friday, under Iranian oversight.
Iran has signalled that any long-term peace arrangement could include levying charges on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow 34-km channel between Iran and Oman.
With key terms of the ceasefire still emerging, reports remain mixed. Some suggested that Oman has opposed the idea, saying tolls would violate existing agreements, while others indicated a fee system may already be operational.
Even Trump told ABC News that Washington is considering a joint mechanism to impose transit charges on ships using the strait.
Source: India Today
