Iran reiterated its claim to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, cautioning Gulf nations against aligning with the United States. This statement followed an incident in which a commercial ship was struck near Oman, highlighting the fragile nature of a recent preliminary agreement intended to halt hostilities in the region.
The Iranian response came after the United States and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a joint declaration rejecting Iran’s demand to levy transit fees on vessels navigating this strategic waterway. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi emphasized that safe passage cannot be assured under unclear arrangements or alternative routes that exclude Iran’s role as a coastal state.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the joint statement as provocative and interventionist, attributing regional instability primarily to the US military presence in the Gulf. It stressed that management of the strait should be a shared responsibility between Iran and Oman, in line with the interim agreement established after recent conflicts.
The ministry also issued a warning against ongoing hostile and interventionist policies in the area. This dispute persists despite the ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington, which followed the February conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
On Thursday, the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely, operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine, was hit by an unidentified object near Oman while navigating a route recommended by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). No casualties were reported, and the vessel continued its journey out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Two US officials indicated that Iranian forces fired on the ship, though Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned that vessels using unauthorized routes do so at their own risk. The US government had not immediately responded to Iran’s latest comments.
During a visit to Gulf countries on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington would take action if Iran threatened or obstructed shipping through the strait. In a joint statement with GCC members, Rubio called for free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation without transit tolls or attempts by any nation to assert control.
The statement also highlighted that any durable agreement with Iran should address concerns over its ballistic missile program, drone activities, and support for proxy groups. Following the Thursday incident, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) temporarily halted its ship escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, the IMO and Oman introduced a new southern shipping route through the strait to aid vessels stranded during the conflict, a move that Tehran criticized. Despite ongoing tensions, Saudi Aramco resumed crude oil shipments from its Ras Tanura terminal on Friday after nearly four months of suspension, shipping data.
Oil prices dipped slightly on Friday amid persistent uncertainty surrounding the enforcement of the interim agreement and the security of shipping lanes in one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints.
