Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): The latest navigation data published by Bloomberg on Sunday indicates a complete halt to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the report, passage through this vital waterway is now limited exclusively to ships that have prior permission from Iran.
Just a few days after the announcement of the 12-point comprehensive plan by the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly to manage maritime transit in this vital passage, satellite data shows that commercial passage in the Persian Gulf is being carried out under full Iranian supervision. According to the document, the details of which were announced by Ali Nikzad, the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, the passage of ships from warring countries will be subject to the payment of war indemnity, and other ships must also receive permission and approval from Iran.
Tanker transits coordinated by Tehran
This week, maritime activity in the strait has been reduced to a minimum, with only a few ships linked to regional allies such as China and Pakistan able to pass through.
According to tracking data, the Pakistani tanker Khairpur, carrying 511,000 barrels of oil from Kuwait, passed through the strait on Thursday night after coordination with Tehran and following an approved route near the islands of Qeshm and Lark.
The new system appears to require ships to present their full documentation before departure and, after receiving a verification code and escorted by IRGC boats, pass through a controlled corridor.
Another gas giant passes through the line with Iranian permission
The Suroshekti, a massive tanker flagged by the Marshall Islands and carrying 45,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) purchased by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), left the strait on Saturday in a rare move with Iranian permission. The ship sailed north, passing the Lark and Qeshm Islands near Bandar Abbas, into the Indian Ocean. India’s energy interests, which are facing a severe shortage of cooking gas, have forced them to seek permission to pass through Tehran.
Washington on the Sidelines of Iran’s Surveillance
As Iran’s legitimate control over the Persian Gulf has strengthened, the US Navy has been unable to exert effective influence in the region. News sources report that several offers from shipping companies for escorts from the US fleet have so far been rejected due to “high risk.”
Saudi Arabia, which was called in earlier this week to transport 4.2 million barrels of oil to Egyptian power plants, also canceled its tankers at the last minute due to a lack of necessary permits.
The New Maritime Order in the Middle East
This new order reflects the fact that control of the Strait of Hormuz is no longer under the previous rules of extra-regional powers. As Reuters recently reported, senior Iranian officials have stated that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its former state after the war. Any commercial traffic through the passage now requires compliance with regulations and permission from Iranian military and port authorities.
According to data from the maritime intelligence company Kepler, the average daily traffic of uncoordinated ships in the Strait of Hormuz has decreased by more than 95 percent since the February attacks by the US and the Zionist regime and the subsequent closure by Western agents.
Iran’s geopolitical balance is increasing
By changing the power equations in the Persian Gulf, Al Jazeera’s senior economic correspondent writes in an analytical report that Tehran has effectively ended the region’s unipolarity. As Reuters also confirmed, under the current circumstances, any commercial or military operations in the Persian Gulf waters pass through Iran’s military “filter.” Given that nearly 20% of the world’s oil passes through this strait, it seems that in the coming months, not energy prices, but the geopolitical formula and balance will be the priority for determining applicants for passage.