Iran releases chilling ‘danger zone’ map as Strait of Hormuz ‘dotted with sea mines’ | World | News
Iran has published a chilling “danger zone” map of the Strait of Hormuz Traffic Separation Plan. The chart, published by semi-official news agencies in Iran, suggests that naval mines may have been placed in the key strait after the war broke out in late February.
The chart from 28 February to 9 April, published by the ISNA news agency and Tasnim, shows alternative “protected” routes for ships. This article, originally written in Persian, shows a huge circle marked as a “danger zone” on the route followed by oil and gas tankers that want to cross the strait. Very few ships have passed through the waterway since the start of the war between the US-Israel and Iran.
According to data from Kpler, only four ships with trackers passed by.
The regime spokesman said: “All ships wishing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are notified that they must use alternative routes when passing through the Strait of Hormuz, in coordination with the Revolutionary Guard Navy, in order to comply with maritime security principles and avoid possible collisions with naval mines.”
Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told the BBC on Thursday that his country would allow ships to pass through the strait in accordance with “international norms and international law” if the US ends its “aggression” in the Middle East and Israel stops attacking Lebanon.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused a massive increase in oil prices, which in turn caused the cost of gasoline, food and other essential goods to rise far beyond the Middle East.
The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was around $98 on Thursday; this is up nearly 35% since the start of the war.
On Wednesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that there would be “big money” to be made by helping the United States “increase traffic” in the Strait of Hormuz.
He wrote: “We’ll be loading up on all kinds of stuff and just ‘walking around’ to make sure everything goes smoothly. I believe it will happen.”
The US president also suggested on Monday that the US could impose its own tolls on ships trying to pass through the canal. Leaders in Tehran signaled last week that they would establish a “toll booth” system to impose prices on ships seeking safe passage through the strait.
