Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy announced in the early hours of Wednesday that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must follow two alternative routes closer to the Iranian coastline, citing the possibility of mines along the usual shipping lanes further out to sea.
"To protect against possible contact with mines, in coordination with the Revolutionary Guards Navy (...) until further notice, vessels must follow alternative routes for movement through the Strait of Hormuz," Iranian state media reported, citing a military communiqué accompanied by a nautical chart showing the designated lanes running north and south of Larak Island.
For vessels entering the Gulf from the Gulf of Oman, the prescribed route passes between the Iranian coast and Larak Island, what shipping intelligence publication Lloyd's List has called Tehran's "toll booth." The exit route runs south of the island, bypassing the more straightforward passage closer to the Omani coast. Recent transits appear to have already been following this alternative course, which passes through Iranian territorial waters.
The United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire agreement on Tuesday night, which included a full reopening of the Strait, a chokepoint critical to global hydrocarbon supply. The waterway had been nearly completely closed since the outbreak of hostilities on 28 February and remains under the control of Iranian armed forces.
From 1 March to 27 April, just 307 transits by vessels carrying raw materials were recorded, according to data from Kpler, the company that owns the MarineTraffic platform. That figure represents a drop of nearly 95% compared to peacetime levels.
Under normal conditions, approximately 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) destined for global markets passes through the narrow strait connecting the Gulf to the world's busiest sea lanes.
Source: CNA