Iran has warned tanker owners to avoid illegal routes in the Strait of Hormuz and declared the strait under its control. This action came after the Iranian government submitted its requests through intermediaries to reopen this waterway, which were quickly rejected by Donald Trump.
Iran's Warning to Tanker Owners
The organization known as the "Persian Gulf Strait Organization" (PGSA) has warned tanker owners and claimed to have received a letter from a ship owner referencing their lease agreement. The letter states that the mentioned ship was forced to make an illegal passage due to the lease contract, and PGSA should not hold the owner or captain of the ship responsible.
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PGSA stated in a message: "Some tanker owners are forcing ships to use illegal routes. This can pose financial and life-threatening risks to the ship, owner, captain, and crew, and severely limit their future passage through the Strait of Hormuz." The message also warns that owners must be "vigilant" and that if this situation continues, the names of non-compliant owners will be added to the non-compliance list.
New Developments and Reactions
The U.S. government quickly rejected Iran's proposals, and Donald Trump emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz is currently being traversed, with 29 ships passing through it on Friday night and a large amount of oil exiting the Persian Gulf. He did not mention the recent attacks on four ships and stressed that the war will end soon and Iran is failing.
One of the naval commanders of the Iranian Army also told the media that the country has full control over the Strait of Hormuz, with the Navy controlling the eastern part and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps controlling the western part.
Iran also claimed that on Sunday, it fired cruise missiles and drones from the southern sections towards the violating ships. These claims have not yet received independent verification, and no information has been sent from the ships to British maritime operations.
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