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Liberian tanker uses Oman route through Strait of Hormuz
A Liberian-flagged oil tanker completed passage through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday using a coastal route near Oman. The transit occurred amid Iranian warnings and an interim U.S.-Iran accord that began a 60-day negotiation period last week.
The IndependentAudio version
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A Liberian oil tanker completed transit of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday by following a route close to Oman's shore that was developed with the International Maritime Organization. The vessel, named the Stoic Warrior, departed early Thursday and stayed near the coasts of the United Arab Emirates and Oman before rounding the Musandam Peninsula.
Several other ships followed the same path, according to ship-tracking data.
Iranian response Iran's Revolutionary Guard issued a statement carried by state media that rejected the new route and declared only the central Traffic Separation Scheme authorized. The statement warned that traffic outside the declared route is prohibited and that violators would be dealt with.
The Guard's warning came hours after the tanker began its passage. No incidents were reported during the transit.
Regional context The transit occurred during a 60-day period established by an interim accord signed last week between Iran and the United States. The agreement covers issues including naval passage and Iran's enriched uranium reserves. Fighting also resumed in Lebanon on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike killed two people in the south, the first such strike since a ceasefire took effect on Saturday, Lebanon's state news agency reported.
Anwar Gargash, a senior Emirati diplomat, said on social media that attempts to impose new conditions on shipping through the strait would sow discord.
