finance
Iran Sets Permit Rules for Strait of Hormuz While U.S.–Iran Deal Keeps Transit Free for 60 Days
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority issued rules mandating permits and insurance for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. reported more than 20 vessels transited overnight along Oman’s coast.
theiranproject.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said ships must obtain a passage permit and mandatory insurance from the authority to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The authority stated that the required insurance is currently provided free of charge with all expenses covered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, though it reserves the right to introduce fees later.
The document requires ships to follow a prescribed route along Iran’s coast and prohibits alternative routes.
Any deviation from the fixed corridor will be treated as a violation. Ships must submit requests for a passage permit and will typically receive a response within 48 hours. The permit authorizes one single transit and is valid for five days from issuance.
U.S. said more than 20 ships had sailed through the Strait of Hormuz overnight via a route along Oman’s coast. US Central Command stated that its forces would continue to operate to support freedom of navigation without any arbitrary requirement claims or impediments.
It added that more than 20 vessels had traveled through the waterway overnight with their signals off. Western naval groups recommended the corridor along Oman’s waters as the main transit route on Thursday. Pakistan’s navy reported that a mine had been spotted near Oman’s coast.
At least two Indian supertankers were crossing the strait on Friday, while one other appeared to U-turn as it approached, according to vessel tracking data. The number of ships crossing with their signals on dropped on Friday after an initial surge.
Tankers with enough capacity to transport at least 20 million barrels of oil were detected leaving the Iranian port of Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman this week.
There has been very limited demand to book tankers to load oil from ports in the Persian Gulf as of Friday, shipbrokers and tanker owners said. Iran’s foreign ministry denied that the Strait of Hormuz was closed. Some ships reported hearing radio broadcasts from Iran that the waterway was closed on Thursday.
