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IMO warns ship operators not to risk Strait of Hormuz transits
The IMO says volatility and renewed attacks on commercial vessels have made the chokepoint too dangerous, after U.S. strikes and renewed efforts to stop Iranian oil exports.
The head of the United Nations International Maritime Organization warned that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains too dangerous for ship owners and operators to risk transiting the chokepoint, citing heightened volatility. OilPrice reports IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said the organization would keep its message focused on upholding international law and that companies should not take risk during the current situation.
The IMO and other maritime security groups have been warning for nearly a week that the strait is again too dangerous for shipping after traffic had increased for several weeks, providing oil and equity markets only a short-lived reprieve from security concerns. That brief easing ended late last week as tensions intensified early this week, according to the report.
OilPrice says Iran hit several commercial vessels, including two UAE-managed oil supertankers, on Tuesday, while the U.S. carried out three rounds of strikes on Iran and reinstated a naval blockade aimed at stopping Iranian oil exports. The report adds that the IMO’s Council earlier this week reaffirmed that passage through the Strait should remain free of tolls and charges under international law, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a 20% fee on cargo value for the U.S. being the “guardian” of the strait.