Iran Changes Tactics Against Non-Compliant Ships in Strait of Hormuz
Two senior Iranian officials have told Reuters that Iran has changed its strategy for dealing with ships that do not follow designated routes in the Strait of Hormuz, a policy they said has been in place for about 10 days.
The officials said the new change involves the type and intensity of action taken against violating vessels. They added that one of the aims of the policy is to keep oil prices high, while the United States and its allies seek to bring down global oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections.
According to the two officials, the new decision was taken in coordination among the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They did not provide further details on the methods used in the new approach.
At the same time, the public relations office of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy claimed that a shuttle tanker carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil hit a naval mine, exploded and caught fire after ignoring warnings and alerts while trying to pass through an unauthorized route.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s key oil transit routes and lies between Iran and Oman. Iran has repeatedly stressed its role in managing security in the waterway, but Iranian officials’ claims about maritime incidents are usually examined separately by independent sources.
