Iran says 26 vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) claimed Wednesday that 26 commercial vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iranian authorities over the past 24 hours, amid an ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
The vessels included oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, the IRGC Navy said in a statement, which added that transit through the waterway was “ongoing with permits obtained and in coordination with the IRGC Navy.”
Iran has effectively blocked shipping in the strait since early April, accusing the U.S. of violating an ongoing ceasefire agreement. The strait is a crucial transit route for around a fifth of the world’s crude oil supplies.
Iran insists it is in control over traffic in the strait, and it has announced a new mechanism for international shippers to coordinate with its authorities to ensure safe passage – often for hefty fees.
It imposed the restrictions in response to the U.S. military blockading Iranian ports and associated vessels in the area.
On Wednesday, South Korea’s government confirmed the passage of one of its vessels, a tanker it said was carrying around 2 million barrels of oil. Tracking data show the ship left a Kuwaiti port before transiting the strait.
