American Ships Warned to Avoid Iranian Waters Amid Rising Tensions

The US has issued new guidelines for US-flagged ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. The guidelines ask ships to stay away from Iranian territorial waters. The guidelines come amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran. Al Jazeera reported.

The US Maritime Administration issued the guidelines on Monday (February 9).

The guidelines also urge US ship captains not to allow Iranian forces to board US vessels. If Iranian forces board a US-flagged commercial vessel, sailors should not forcibly resist them. However, not resisting forcefully does not mean that they have consented to or approved the boarding.

The guidelines mean that ‘US-flagged commercial vessels traveling through these waterways are advised to stay as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible so as not to compromise the safety of navigation. “Ships are advised to stay close to the territorial waters of Oman when sailing east through the Strait of Hormuz.”

The recommendations came after indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Oman on Friday. The two countries had been on the brink of war after weeks of increasingly heated rhetoric and threats. The world’s commercial shipping lanes and shipping lanes have long been vulnerable to geopolitical instability, particularly in the Middle East.

Both countries attacked commercial shipping during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. The conflict became known as the “tanker war.” More recently, Yemen’s Houthi group has attacked Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea. The group said it was carrying out the operation to stop Israel’s alleged genocidal war in Gaza.

After Israel bombed Iran in June last year, an Iranian lawmaker said Tehran could consider closing the Strait of Hormuz if war escalated. The strait is a vital waterway connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. The US government describes the Strait of Hormuz as the world's most important oil shipping lane because it is the gateway to the energy-producing region.

Meanwhile, the US is increasing its military presence in the region. US President Donald Trump has regularly threatened new attacks on Iran. Last month, Iran saw a wave of anti-government protests. Last December, Trump said the US would strike if Iran tried to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs.