US directs ships to transit Strait of Hormuz through Oman’s territorial waters

The US Navy on Monday directed vessels seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz to route through Oman’s territorial waters south of the Traffic Separation Scheme, warning that the main shipping lane remained extremely hazardous due to sea mines that had not been fully surveyed or cleared, Anadolu reports. The US Naval Forces Central Command advisory urged ships to contact Omani authorities on VHF channel 16, given anticipated traffic volume, and encouraged operators to carefully review risk assessments before attempting transit. The guidance came as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the strait in support of “Project Freedom,” Washington’s initiative to escort neutral vessels out of the waterway, US Central Command said. Iranian state media claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps […]