Iran attacks vessels in new southern corridor as U.S. and Oman shift traffic away from Strait of Hormuz
Iran struck commercial ships using a newly opened southern route along Oman's coast, prompting U.S. retaliation and raising questions about Tehran's leverage over the strategic waterway.
Iran launched attacks on commercial vessels navigating a newly established southern shipping corridor that runs close to Oman's coastline, a route intended to move traffic farther from Iran's immediate reach in the Strait of Hormuz.
Retired Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery said the attacks were aimed at preventing the corridor from becoming a toll-free alternative that Iran could not control. Former Fifth Fleet commander Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan added that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appears to be trying to make the route commercially unviable, using the threat of higher insurance costs rather than attempting to close the strait entirely.
U.S. forces responded with strikes on Iranian maritime-related military targets, while Iran later hit U.S. facilities and regional partners. Negotiations in Doha are set to address the strait's future administration and a temporary toll-free period for commercial traffic.
Analysts note that Gulf states are investing in pipelines and export facilities that bypass Hormuz, reducing Iran's traditional leverage. Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline and the United Arab Emirates' expanded use of Fujairah are cited as examples of alternatives that diminish the strategic value of the choke point.
