Oil tankers use new Oman coastal route through Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian warning
A convoy of oil tankers left the Strait of Hormuz via a newly promoted coastal lane along Oman, while Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned against using any route not authorized by Tehran.
A group of oil tankers, led by the vessel Stoic Warrior, navigated around Oman’s Musandam Peninsula on Thursday, following a coastal corridor devised by Omani authorities in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization. The route runs close to the Omani shoreline, offering an alternative to the central Traffic Separation Scheme that has been disrupted by reports of mines after the conflict began on Feb. 28.
The movement comes as shipping volumes through the strait have risen modestly since the war started, with 125 vessels crossing on the previous day, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, though this remains below pre-war daily averages. Maersk confirmed that its container ship Maersk Baltimore and another chartered vessel also completed the passage.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard naval forces issued a statement through state news agency IRNA, asserting that only the route declared by Iran is authorized and warning that vessels deviating from it face “extremely dangerous” conditions and possible retaliation. No incidents were reported in the strait at the time of writing.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers in Bahrain, emphasizing that the interests of regional partners will be considered in any final agreement with Iran. Bahrain’s foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani thanked the United States for its support and called for Iran to fulfill its commitments under the recent memorandum of understanding.
The broader context includes ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran to finalize a 60-day interim accord aimed at ending hostilities, as well as renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has added further tension to the region.
