Iran and US Escalate Strait of Hormuz Control Claims Amid Ongoing Talks

On Wednesday, Iran and the United States took further steps to assert their conflicting claims over the waters around the Strait of Hormuz, even as diplomatic talks to resolve the conflict peacefully continued. Iran's newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority, created earlier this month to regulate sailings through the key waterway, claimed control over a vast area stretching from Iran's shores to the UAE ports of Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. The authority declared that transit through this area for the purpose of passing through the Strait of Hormuz requires coordination and authorization from the Iranian entity. The eastern line of control begins south of Fujairah, crosses the Gulf of Oman, and ends at Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran, while the western line starts at Umm Al Quwain and ends at the western tip of Iran's Qeshm Island in the Middle East Gulf. The authority also stated that frequencies in this range require coordination and a permit.

Iran's Enforcement and Selective Access

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's elite force, has already established maritime corridors through which it forces traffic in and out of the Middle East Gulf under its own authority. Non-compliant vessels are attacked with drones and missiles or captured by Revolutionary Guard fast boats. Iran imposed strict control over the Strait of Hormuz as a response to US and Israeli strikes that began on 28 February. Since then, Tehran has been selectively opening the waterway to reward ship owners and charterers from countries it regards as neutral or friendly, while allies of the US and Israel are punished by being denied passage or becoming targets.

US Countermeasures and Adnoc's Pipeline Project

In response, the US Navy has been targeting, seizing, or diverting Iranian-linked vessels under a maritime blockade that began in mid-April, forcing 91 Iran-trading ships to alter course. The latest incident involved the tanker Celestial Sea, which the US military briefly boarded in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday before releasing it after searching and directing the crew to alter course. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) announced it is accelerating construction on a pipeline project from some of its largest offshore fields directly to Fujairah, aiming to double oil exports via the port and bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely.

Iran Loosens Chokehold Temporarily

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran somewhat loosened its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that it allowed 26 vessels through over the previous 24 hours, indicating a selective and conditional approach to maritime access in the region.