Hormuz Strait Crisis: Dealing with the Blockade
Middle East - Iran is selectively allowing ships from its "allies" to pass through the Hormuz Strait. The strait is currently under the blockade of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in retaliation for the air strikes launched by Israel and the United States in late February.
A report released by the maritime intelligence company Windward on Tuesday showed that at least five ships left the strategic waterway through Iranian waters on March 15 and 16. Normally, nearly 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass through here. The company stated, "This new route indicates that Iran's selective blockade has evolved into allowing its allies and supporters to pass."
Natasha Kaneva, a commodities analyst at JPMorgan, noted in a report that at least four ships had left the Hormuz Strait through the Larak-Gheshm Strait, which is close to the Iranian coast, two days prior. She told AFP: "This is not a standard shipping route. It may reflect a procedure to confirm the ownership of the vessel and the nature of the cargo, allowing vessels not affiliated with the United States or its allies to pass."
According to the specialized website MarineTraffic, some of these vessels included an oil tanker flying the flag of Pakistan, which activated its automatic identification system to pass through the strait, while most vessels avoid becoming targets by turning off the system. Natasha Kaneva added that most of the crude oil passing through the strait is headed to Asia, mainly China.
Turkey's Minister of Transport, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said on Friday that a ship benefiting from Turkish interests had also been granted permission by Iran to pass through the strait. Despite conflicting statements from Tehran officials, the Iranian Foreign Minister had claimed in mid-March that Iran was prepared to allow ships from certain countries to pass through the Hormuz Strait.
The goal of Tehran is to block the Hormuz Strait, making it impassable and disrupting the global economy, thereby pressuring Washington.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Tuesday during an interview with X that, "The situation in the Hormuz Strait will not return to its pre-war state," although he did not elaborate further.
US President Trump said on Tuesday that many NATO countries refusing to assist the US in maintaining the security of the Hormuz Strait was "an extremely stupid mistake."
Sources: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859951415956682/
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