DNA
WASHINGTON: The US has asked tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz to sail only at specific times to guarantee military protection after Iran stepped up attacks on ships traveling at night.
Washington has been offering air-based defense since May to ships wanting to sail via a route hugging the Omani coast on the strait’s southern side.
That period during which ships would be protected was cut down to two specific time slots daily around the start of September, the FT reported, citing emails sent by the US naval co-ordination center to maritime advisers.
Meanwhile, the US military has forced 99 commercial vessels to change course in the Gulf region as it enforces its blockade of Iranian ports, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday in a social media post.
Earlier the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that foreign ministers from Gulf littoral states are scheduled to meet in Oman on Monday to exchange views on regional issues, including talks between Iran and Oman on designating safe routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the meeting will be attended by Iran, Iraq and other Gulf littoral states, adding that he hoped it would prepare the ground for improving understanding among regional countries and contributing to joint regional security.
A day earlier, the US-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in a notice that maritime security conditions in the Middle East remained tense, with the maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz still rated as “severe.”
The notice also warned of a high likelihood of attacks on vessels amid the current security situation.
