Iran’s tight grip on the Hormuz forced the US to change tanker defenses.
TEHRAN – The Strait of Hormuz is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous for commercial ships to pass through. After Iranian forces stepped up attacks on ships, the United States has quietly tightened the hours its aircraft will provide the tightest protection for tankers attempting the perilous journey through the strategic waterway. FT Reported
The change means ships can no longer rely overnight on the same extensive protection that was previously available. Instead, U.S. officials are now directing commercial ships to two recommended transit windows per day.
Times can change from day to day, and ships are not forced to follow them. But ships using the recommended windows are expected to receive more U.S. military support. The change marks a major shift in Washington’s approach to protecting commercial shipping.
The U.S. is offering air defense to tankers using the route near Oman’s coastline on the southern side of the strait. The goal was straightforward: to keep the ships moving and prevent Iranian attacks from cutting off oil exports from the Gulf.
Shipowners previously had to coordinate with the US Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping, or NCAGS, before making the crossing.
The U.S. center will provide coordinates and instructions for the route, allowing ships to travel under surveillance by U.S. aircraft during extended protection intervals throughout the night. Now, that protection is being concentrated into much smaller windows.
The ships were told to start their journey around 9 am. Other recommended times may vary depending on the day. The reason behind the change is becoming increasingly clear. Nighttime isn’t necessarily the safest time to travel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are using small patrol boats to search for merchant ships traveling the Omani route. Ships have often attempted to hide by turning off their lights and navigation signals, but these tactics have not prevented Iranian forces from detecting and attacking the ships. And the journey itself is long.
A merchant ship moving at a slow or moderate speed can take about seven hours to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving it exposed for a long time.
More than 70 merchant ships have reportedly been attacked since the war began on February 28, turning what is normally one of the world’s busiest energy corridors into a high-risk maritime battleground. The latest tensions involve both military and commercial targets.
Iran said it had attacked two US ships and eight oil tankers in response to US attacks on five Iranian tankers. Meanwhile, the US military has said that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had earlier fired ballistic missiles at a US warship.
More tanker attacks have been reported near Dubai and outside Iraq. Guarding every ship around the clock is also becoming a huge military burden for Washington. A U.S. military aircraft can cost between $25,000 and $75,000 to operate for an hour, according to CNA Navy analyst Joshua Telles.
Keeping the aircraft constantly in the air will consume a lot of resources.
By focusing its protection around select hours, the US can put more aircraft and military capability into shorter periods rather than spreading its resources throughout the night. This can give tankers more protection when they are actually going through the most dangerous areas.
But the biggest problem is that there is no clear end in sight.
Iran has announced plans for a new “restricted zone” around the Strait of Hormuz and warned that ships entering the area could face restrictions. The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsin Rezaei, said the proposed zone would extend from the US naval blockade to the strait and then to the Persian Gulf.
Tehran has not specified exactly what sanctions the ships may face. Also, Iran says it is close to reaching a preliminary agreement with Oman on how the waterway could be managed in the future.
For shipping companies, however, diplomacy has yet to translate into safety. Shipbroker Clarksons expects the disruption to last until at least the second half of 2027, suggesting tanker operators may have to deal with the volatile Hormuz for a long time. Its impact is already spreading across the global energy market.
Tanker freight costs have risen as operators demand higher premiums to take on the risk of sailing in the Gulf, while oil supply concerns have pushed energy prices higher.
Retired US Vice Admiral John Miller, the former commander of US naval forces in the Middle East, said Washington had to think beyond the immediate crisis. If the conflict continues for months, maintaining round-the-clock air cover over commercial shipping will not be sustainable.
This explains the new schedule. For tanker crews, however, the change boils down to something much simpler: when you enter the Strait of Hormuz may now be almost as important as how you cross it.
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The post Iran’s grip on Hormuz is strong, America is forced to change tanker defense appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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