Iran threatens oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz | World | News

The warning, issued on Thursday (July 2), comes as tensions surround the vital oil supply waterway.

The Strait has emerged as a central point of contention in talks to end the Iran conflict, which erupted after the United States and Israel joint attacks on several key Iranian sites on February 28.

The statement by the Khatam al-Anbiya military command, broadcast by Iranian state television, followed diplomatic talks with mediators between representatives of the United States and Iran in Qatar on Wednesday.

It remains unclear what prompted Iran’s warning about oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.

However, the US military’s Central Command issued a statement regarding a meeting in Bahrain with officials from Middle Eastern countries; where “the leaders underlined their common commitment to the free flow of trade through the Bosphorus”.

This particular statement may have triggered Iranian anger.

In the statement made by Iran, the following statements were made: “In case of non-compliance with the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, deviation from the determined route or disregard, an immediate and strong response will be given by the armed forces and the security of the violating ships will be endangered.”

It was also stated that the intervention of US forces in the Bosphorus “will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction”.

Iran and the United States agreed to allow ships to pass without paying fees for 60 days under the interim agreement. But Tehran insisted that the ships check their routes and then charge a fee for passage.

The United States and several Gulf Arab states have said they would reject Iran bringing charges for passage through the strait, which would upend decades of established practices in the waterway.

An attempt by Oman and the United Nations agency to establish an alternative route near Oman’s coastline triggered attacks in the Middle East last weekend.

Despite the attacks, ship traffic in the Bosphorus continued to recover.

According to maritime data and analysis company Lloyd’s List Intelligence, at least 258 ships passed through the waterway last week; This figure was 138 ships the previous week.