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Tehran: As the conflict between the United States and Iran in West Asia is about to enter its fourth month, vessel traffic through the critical Strait
of Hormuz appears to have increased over the past few days. According to reports, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) eased restrictions in the key waterway. Commentator Mario Nawfal, citing Reuters and Marine Traffic data, on Tuesday claimed that the key waterway had “lit up" with vessels. He claimed that vessels suddenly surged through Iranian-controlled lanes.
The IRGC also claimed that it coordinated the transit of 26 vessels through the strait in 24 hours, reported Al Jazeera. The development came even as the talks between the US and Iran over resuming traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained stalled.
“Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is being carried out with permission and in coordination with the IRGC Navy,” an official statement carried by Iran’s state-affiliated ISNA news agency read.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) also published a new map of Hormuz on X. The map shows a controlled maritime zone, stretching from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to south of Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates, at the eastern entrance of the strait. It also stretches from the tip of Qeshm Island to Umm al-Quwain at the western entrance.
Also Read: Iran Reveals Fresh Plan for Strait of Hormuz Control
Notably, the IRGC has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict in the region following airstrikes by the US and Iran on Tehran on February 28. The blockade disrupted crude oil and natural gas supplies across the region, triggering an energy crisis. The US also imposed a naval blockade in the strait, preventing ships from entering and leaving Iranian ports.
Notably, before the start of the US-Iran war, the strait accounted for 20 per cent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade.
