US Issues Fresh Maritime Guidance Amid US–Iran Tensions

The United States on Feb. 9 issued updated guidance to commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz as tensions persist between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The strait, partly within Iran’s territorial waters, is the world’s most vital oil export route, connecting the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. “Commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman have long been at risk of being hailed, queried, boarded, detained, or seized by Iranian forces,” the U.S. Maritime Administration said in the advisory. “Iranian forces have historically utilized small boats and helicopters during boarding operations and have attempted to force commercial vessels into Iranian territorial waters.”...