The navigation crisis in the Seaway of Hormuz has entered its ninth week, as the way ships pass through remains in limbo between US and Iran.
Despite the agreement in principle reached last Friday to open the Straits as part of the facilitated talks to end the war, the situation on the ground remains fluid ahead of new negotiations between the two sides in Islamabad, for which, however, no Iranian delegation has departed.
Although some ships have attempted to cross the region – with some succeeding – Washington has maintained a naval blockade on tankers linked to Iranian ports.
In response, the Revolutionary Guards Navy said the strategic sea lane was being put back out of commission until the US restrictions are lifted.
The crew of the “Touska”
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran appears to be being tested again, following the seizure of the Iranian container ship “Touska” in the Gulf of Oman, in a development that brings tensions back to the forefront.
The Iranian-flagged “Touska” (IMO 9328900) had sailed from Port Klang, Malaysia, carrying cargo from China. According to US sources, it crossed the US Navy’s blockade line and was intercepted on 19 April, before being stopped and captured by Marines. The ship remains afloat, with no risk of sinking.
The Touska was reportedly carrying dual-use items that could be used for military purposes, and therefore violated the blockade.
According to a US official, the ship’s crew is expected to return to Iran soon, a fact that leaves room for limited de-escalation at the operational level.
False messages to companies for transits
At the same time, false messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrencies have been sent to some shipping companies whose ships have been grounded west of the seaway, Greek shipping risk management company MARISKS reports.
MARISKS issued a warning to shipowners yesterday, Monday, that unknown actors claiming to represent Iranian authorities sent a message to some shipping companies demanding transit fees in cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin or Tether, for “clearing”.
“These particular messages are a scam,” the company said, adding that the message was not sent by the Iranian authorities.
Cold shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz
At the same time, shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains at zero levels ahead of a new round of contacts in Islamabad.
However, according to maritime security firm Diaplous, navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remains restrictedas a total of four tanker transits were recorded in the last 24 hours, up to 14:00 yesterday afternoon, including two inbound and two outbound, all through the corridor defined by Iran.
In particular, the two inbound tankers were not subject to sanctions regime, with one heading to Hamriya in the United Arab Emirates and the second awaiting instructions. On the outbound side, one ship sailed from Zubair, Iraq and the other from Kuwait. These tankers were not blocked by U.S. forces as they approach other ports outside Iran.
According to the same reports, none of the transits involved Greek-owned ships, reflecting the continued caution of shipowners amid heightened risks in the region.
No Iranian delegation has left for Pakistan yet
No Iranian delegation has left for Pakistan to attend peace talks with the US, Iranian state television reported today, denying international reports announcing a trip by Iranian delegates to Islamabad and scheduled times for US-Iranian talks.
“So far, no Iranian delegation has left for Islamabad, Pakistan, whether it is a key or secondary delegation,” state television reported, denying reports to the contrary.
A senior military commander of the Islamic Republic, quoted by Tehran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, warned at the same time today that Iran’s armed forces are ready to give an “immediate and decisive response” to any new hostile action by its rivals.
The ceasefire between the US and Iran that came into force on April 8 is expected to expire “on Wednesday night, US time”, US President Donald Trump said. The two countries accuse each other of violating that ceasefire and have both stepped up control over maritime transits in the Gulf.
Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Iranian armed forces’ Central Operations Command Hatam al-Anbiya, said Tehran retains the upper hand on the military front, including in managing the Strait of Hormuz, and will not allow U.S. President Donald Trump to “create false narratives about the situation on the ground.”
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