Iran's navy warns seafarers amid US effort to 'guide' stranded ships

Iran said on Monday that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must coordinate with Iranian authorities, after the United States announced an effort to open the strait.

"Ships, their owners and shipping companies know well that to ensure their security and safety they need to coordinate with relevant bodies in the Islamic Republic of Iran," foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a briefing in Tehran.

The United States on Monday kicked off an effort to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, as it tries to counter economic disruptions that outlasted the peak of fighting with no peace deal in sight.

A day after US President Donald Trump announced what he called “Project Freedom,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said Monday that the US had set up an “enhanced security area” south of typical shipping routes and urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.”

The strait sits between Iranian and Omani territory.

The centre warned that passing close to the usual routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, “should be considered extremely hazardous due the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”

It was unclear as of Monday morning whether any vessels had accepted the US offer and Iran’s military command told state broadcaster IRIB on Monday that ships passing must coordinate with them.