Hours after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued threats over radio to vessels attempting the southern route near Oman's coast, the Strait of Hormuz has nearly emptied of ships, according to the source. Traffic is now passing only near Iran's coast under Iranian supervision.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has escalated its pressure on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the source, the IRGC transmitted threats over radio to ships attempting to use the southern route near Oman's coast — the same alternate route that had seen a surge in traffic in recent days as vessels avoided Iran's northern lane. The result, the channel reports: the strait has been largely emptied of ships. Trafficking is now occurring only close to Iran's shore, under Iranian surveillance.
This is the latest in a series of IRGC moves to reclaim control of the waterway after a period in which an estimated 70% of traffic shifted to the Omani route (as The Zioneer reported on June 27). Prior background items in our archive also trace back to the IRGC's June 8 threat to target hostile warships, warning shots at ships in the strait (June 28), and the WSJ report that the IRGC was demanding sole control guarantees (June 30). The current report comes from a single source and is unconfirmed; the extent of naval or commercial disruption is not yet independently verified.
2 developments
- DevelopingIran threatens new Omani shipping lane near Hormuz as traffic plunges
- DevelopingIran loses control of Strait of Hormuz as tankers shift to Omani waters
- StrongIRGC rocket hits merchant ship off Oman after radio warning; 3 vessels turn back
- DevelopingVessels continue transiting Omani shipping lane in Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian threats
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake