Dozens of commercial ships have reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, even as Iran heavily restricts traffic amid the ongoing war.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has guided close to 70 commercial ships through the narrow strait over three weeks, the New York Times reported on Sunday, quoting U.S. officials . That’s about three ships a day. Normally, more than 100 ships make the daily passage.
The vessels had their transponders turned off to avoid detection and hewed close to the Omani coast, according to the paper.
“Though U.S. forces are not escorting, we continue to communicate and coordinate with commercial ships seeking to freely and safely transit the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international corridor for regional and global economies,” Capt. Tim Hawkins of Central Command said in a statement to the Times.
Iran has restricted traffic in the strait, which carries more than a fifth of global oil flows, after Israel-U.S. bombing raids decapitated Iran’s leadership and destroyed the country’s nuclear and military sites in late February.
Tehran has enforced its blockade by laying sea mines, boarding ships and attacking non-allied vessels attempting passage. More than a thousand ships and some 20,000 seafarers have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the conflict began on Feb. 28.
Many ships continue to venture close to Iran’s coasts, suggesting that deals are being made with Tehran to gain access to the strait, the Times reported. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a new agency set up by Iran, has enacted a tiered access system, charging some tankers while letting other ships cross for free.
The money is passed onto the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the U.S. Treasury department, which has forbidden anyone from making deals with Iran to sail through the strait. Earlier media reports said that Iran was typically charging about US$1 per barrel of oil for ships with ties to the U.S. or Israel.
“Regardless of whether a payment is made, U.S. persons are prohibited from receiving services from the Government of Iran, including services related to a guarantee of safe passage,” the department said in a statement on May 29.
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control has warned that making financial arrangements with Iran to ensure safe passage would carry sanction risks.
“These demands may include several payment options, including fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments, such as nominally charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Bonyad Mostazafan, or Iranian embassy accounts,” the office said in May.
Last week, a Bloomberg analysis found that more than 109 large oil tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf have managed to slip out of the Strait of Hormuz. That represented roughly one-quarter of the non-Iranian tankers capable of carrying 700,000 barrels or more.
Some ships tried to slip through undetected under the cover of darkness. In one instance, U.S. helicopters showed up “suddenly” and successfully deterred Iranian fast boats approaching a group of vessels attempting to make the dangerous crossing, according to Bloomberg.
Media reports have catalogued dozens of ships that have been met with Iranian fire, while some have been captured or sunk in the attempt to leave the channel. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has recorded 44 incidents involving vessels in the Middle East maritime region since March 1. At least 10 people have died.
While a modest amount of oil is also diverting the strait via alternative pipelines used by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, these outflows are a trickle compared to the roughly 130 ships that passed through the strait every day before the conflict started.
The U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 8, but both sides have continued to push for control of the strait. As of June 1, U.S. Central Command said it had redirected 121 commercial vessels near Hormuz since starting its own naval blockade to limit Iran’s shipments on April 13.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his optimism about reaching a deal, but a peace plan has proven elusive. While full details of the current talks are not known, they include a 60-day ceasefire extension while a larger framework for Iran to remove its enriched uranium is worked out and its toll system dismantled.
Iran has said Israel’s expansion of its incursion into Lebanon has stalled negotiations. Trump said on Monday on Truth Social that “all shooting will stop” between Israel and Hezbollah.
“There will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump said, adding that he also spoken to leaders of Hezbollah. “Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” he added.
National Post
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