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U.S. Urges Commercial Vessels to Avoid Strait of Hormuz
(MENAFN) The US Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration issued an urgent alert Saturday, urging American-flagged commercial vessels to steer clear of the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters as large-scale military escalation grips the region.
The maritime advisory confirmed that combat operations commenced on Feb. 28 across the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea, cautioning that Iranian retaliatory strikes remained a significant and present danger.
"It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible," the advisory said.
The alert further warned that "any U.S.-flagged, owned, or crewed commercial vessels that are operating in these areas should maintain a standoff of 30 nautical miles from U.S. military vessels to reduce the risk of being mistaken as a threat."
Set to remain in effect until March 7, the advisory strongly encouraged vessel operators to maintain active communication with Naval Forces Central Command's Naval Coordination and Guidance for Shipping, while also urging crews to consult the latest guidance from the UK Maritime Trade Operations and the Joint Maritime Information Center.
Mariners were additionally directed to implement risk mitigation protocols outlined in US Maritime Advisory 2026-001, which addresses the threat of Iranian boarding, detention, or seizure of vessels operating within the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
The sweeping maritime warning follows the joint US-Israeli military assault on Iran launched in the early hours of Saturday, targeting what both nations characterized as threats posed by the "Iranian regime."
The strikes arrived amid active diplomacy — Washington and Tehran had been engaged in nuclear negotiations brokered by Oman, with the most recent round of talks having concluded just days prior in Geneva on Thursday.
The current conflict is not without precedent: Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran last June, with the US subsequently entering the fray and striking three Iranian nuclear facilities.
The maritime advisory confirmed that combat operations commenced on Feb. 28 across the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea, cautioning that Iranian retaliatory strikes remained a significant and present danger.
"It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible," the advisory said.
The alert further warned that "any U.S.-flagged, owned, or crewed commercial vessels that are operating in these areas should maintain a standoff of 30 nautical miles from U.S. military vessels to reduce the risk of being mistaken as a threat."
Set to remain in effect until March 7, the advisory strongly encouraged vessel operators to maintain active communication with Naval Forces Central Command's Naval Coordination and Guidance for Shipping, while also urging crews to consult the latest guidance from the UK Maritime Trade Operations and the Joint Maritime Information Center.
Mariners were additionally directed to implement risk mitigation protocols outlined in US Maritime Advisory 2026-001, which addresses the threat of Iranian boarding, detention, or seizure of vessels operating within the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
The sweeping maritime warning follows the joint US-Israeli military assault on Iran launched in the early hours of Saturday, targeting what both nations characterized as threats posed by the "Iranian regime."
The strikes arrived amid active diplomacy — Washington and Tehran had been engaged in nuclear negotiations brokered by Oman, with the most recent round of talks having concluded just days prior in Geneva on Thursday.
The current conflict is not without precedent: Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran last June, with the US subsequently entering the fray and striking three Iranian nuclear facilities.
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