Iran Threatens Ships in Strait of Hormuz as Marco Rubio Meets Gulf Leaders

Key Points:

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a warning to ships to navigate only through Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting alternative routes such as those through Omani territorial waters, and threatened action against vessels that do not comply.
• The threat coincides with a surge in shipping traffic through the strait, which is a critical route for oil and natural gas, as vessels stranded for months in the Persian Gulf began moving again during a temporary two-month window for crude oil transport.
• On Wednesday, about 70 vessels, including 29 tankers, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the busiest day since March 1, though still below pre-war levels of over 130 ships daily.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Gulf Arab leaders in Bahrain during a three-country tour to address their security concerns, particularly regarding a framework peace agreement with Iran that has left some regional security issues unresolved.