The US has cautioned its ships to steer clear of Iranian waters, issuing new guidelines in an effort to mitigate rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. The Maritime Administration's advisory warns against granting Iranian forces permission to board US vessels, urging captains to refrain from forcible resistance.
In light of escalating rhetoric and threats between the two nations, which had brought them perilously close to war, the administration has advised its ships to remain as far as possible from Iran's territorial sea without compromising navigational safety. When transiting eastbound in the Strait of Hormuz, vessels are recommended to transit close to Oman's territorial waters.
The recommendation comes after the US and Iran held a round of indirect talks in Oman last week. Global shipping lanes have historically been threatened by geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, particularly during the Iran-Iraq conflict in the 1980s, known as the Tanker War.
In recent times, Yemen's Houthi group has launched attacks against Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, citing a campaign to end Israel's alleged genocidal war on Gaza. When Israel bombed Iran last year, an Iranian lawmaker suggested closing the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping lane connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean – as an option for Tehran if the conflict escalated.
The US government describes Hormuz as the world's most important oil chokepoint due to its strategic location as the maritime entryway into the energy-producing region. In January, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted naval military exercises in the strait, prompting the US military to warn against any "unsafe and unprofessional" behavior.
The administration has also seized Iranian oil tankers as part of its maximum pressure campaign of sanctions against Tehran. The United Arab Emirates reported sabotage attacks against four ships in its territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman in 2019. However, there have been no recent public threats from Iran or any other party to vessels in and around the Gulf.
Washington has been amassing military assets in the region, with President Donald Trump regularly threatening renewed strikes against Iran. In December, Trump said Washington would attack Iran if the country pushed to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs.
The US government is also seeking to address concerns over Iran's support for non-state actors in the region, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. On the nuclear front, a major sticking point in past negotiations has been whether Iran – which denies seeking a nuclear weapon – would be allowed to enrich uranium domestically.
In light of escalating rhetoric and threats between the two nations, which had brought them perilously close to war, the administration has advised its ships to remain as far as possible from Iran's territorial sea without compromising navigational safety. When transiting eastbound in the Strait of Hormuz, vessels are recommended to transit close to Oman's territorial waters.
The recommendation comes after the US and Iran held a round of indirect talks in Oman last week. Global shipping lanes have historically been threatened by geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, particularly during the Iran-Iraq conflict in the 1980s, known as the Tanker War.
In recent times, Yemen's Houthi group has launched attacks against Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, citing a campaign to end Israel's alleged genocidal war on Gaza. When Israel bombed Iran last year, an Iranian lawmaker suggested closing the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping lane connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean – as an option for Tehran if the conflict escalated.
The US government describes Hormuz as the world's most important oil chokepoint due to its strategic location as the maritime entryway into the energy-producing region. In January, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted naval military exercises in the strait, prompting the US military to warn against any "unsafe and unprofessional" behavior.
The administration has also seized Iranian oil tankers as part of its maximum pressure campaign of sanctions against Tehran. The United Arab Emirates reported sabotage attacks against four ships in its territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman in 2019. However, there have been no recent public threats from Iran or any other party to vessels in and around the Gulf.
Washington has been amassing military assets in the region, with President Donald Trump regularly threatening renewed strikes against Iran. In December, Trump said Washington would attack Iran if the country pushed to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs.
The US government is also seeking to address concerns over Iran's support for non-state actors in the region, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. On the nuclear front, a major sticking point in past negotiations has been whether Iran – which denies seeking a nuclear weapon – would be allowed to enrich uranium domestically.
they literally warned their ships 2 steer clear of ours 
& we're like "alr8 got it" 
but honestly who can u trust in the middle east? 
its not just about oil or nav safety, its about the whole geopolitics thing 
& im just worried bout all those ships & ppl ridding through those waters 
. I mean, I get that geopolitics can get pretty wild but can't we just talk things through instead of threatening war? It's not like the Strait of Hormuz is gonna solve anything if everyone's just sailing around it 
. And what's with all these naval exercises? Is Iran really planning on taking over the world? 
I just don't think anyone wants a war in that region, it'd be a disaster for global trade and economies 
. Can't we just find a way to resolve our differences peacefully? It seems like they're always talking about sanctions and maximum pressure, can't we try something else? Maybe just listen to each other instead of shouting? 
just saw those new guidelines from the US on Iranian waters... think it's about time someone took a step back and looked at the bigger picture. all this tension between the two nations is making me nervous - what's the real cost of all these naval exercises and saboteurs? 
we used to be able to rely on international waters being safe for shipping, but now you've got Yemen and Iran and Israel all playing their own games... it's like the whole region has become a hot zone. 
I'm getting super anxious about this whole thing 
! The US and Iran have been going back and forth for ages now, and it's just getting ridiculous 
. And the ships in the Strait of Hormuz? Forget about it 
. But at the same time, I feel bad for the sailors who are gonna have to deal with this drama on a daily basis 
.
, but sometimes it feels like they're just using their military might to get what they want 
. 
Like, I know sanctions are important and all that jazz 
, but have we thought this through? 
The US is getting pretty serious about keeping its ships away from Iranian waters right now... like, they're talking strict no-go zones 
. I mean, it's not like they're gonna let things get outta hand in the Strait of Hormuz or anything, right? 
. Meanwhile, they're not addressing the real issue which is Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine and its impact on the entire region 
. I don't buy it. The US government should be focusing on diplomatic solutions, not escalating tensions 
.
.
. Still, I guess this new guideline is better than nothing and it's always good to have some caution when it comes to global politics