ALBAWABA - Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz flared again on Friday after Iran said 35 commercial ships and oil tankers had crossed the strategic waterway in the last 24 hours in direct coordination with Iranian authorities, boosting Tehran's growing control over one of the world's most important energy arteries.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated it has built a “safe navigation corridor despite the insecurity created by America in the Strait of Hormuz” and took responsibility for controlling marine traffic through the region. The news came a day after Iranian authorities said 31 vessels had transited under similar circumstances.
The move comes after Tehran announced it will establish a new maritime body and that ships transiting through significant stretches of Gulf waterways will require Iranian approval before approaching the strait. Iranian officials have said ships passing through the route must coordinate with the Iranian armed forces, and have publicly raised the prospect of charging transit fees on commercial traffic.
Washington reacted sharply.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran’s plan to charge ships for passage through Hormuz “unacceptable,” but U.S. President Donald Trump outright dismissed the idea, saying the United States would never accept Iranian fees because Hormuz remains “an international waterway.”
The confrontation is quickly bringing in more players. European governments have started to talk about security operations to protect ships transiting the strait. Germany has shown a willingness to join a British-led expedition, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said a number of European countries were willing to help guarantee freedom of navigation.
The Strait of Hormuz is fast becoming one of the most hazardous flashpoints in the growing tension in the area, with Iran exerting control over ship movements, Washington rejecting that authority and European powers considering military participation.
