Ships are shown docked in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, on Monday. Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/Getty Images
The Revolutionary Guards’ Navy stated on Wednesday, according to Iranian media, that secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz is achievable under “new procedures” after a brief US military operation in the waterway has been suspended.
This seems to be Iran’s initial response to Washington halting “Project Freedom,” an initiative aimed at assisting commercial vessels navigating the strait, which has faced blockades from both Iran and the US throughout the war. The US initiated the mission on Sunday but suspended it on Tuesday, referring to advancements in peace negotiations.
The announcement did not detail the new procedures but expressed gratitude to captains and ship owners operating in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman for their collaboration concerning navigation through the waterway “in line with Iran’s regulations.”
Iran has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz and revealed intentions to impose fees on ships for secure passage through the vital channel. Numerous global leaders have cautioned that this plan would violate maritime law and create a risky precedent.
Iran’s inflexibility on this issue might jeopardize efforts to revive diplomacy aimed at concluding the conflict.
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