Trump says ceasefire is “over” as Iran readies for Hormuz closure

Trump’s comments at the NATO summit in Ankara follow a series of Iranian attacks on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz between 6 and 7 July. Nakalit’s laden LNG carrier Al Rekayyat was struck, as well as Bahri’s VLCC Wedyan and Sinokor-linked VLCC Cyprus Prosperity. The US responded to the attacks with a series of strikes on Iranian targets overnight and by reimposing sanctions on Iranian oil, which had been lifted under the MoU signed between the two nations last month.   Adding further tension to the situation with Iran, Trump said on 8 July that the US would “probably hit them hard again tonight” and said it may reimpose the naval blockade of Iran.      According to Iran’s PressTV, Iran will respond to any US attacks by closing the Strait completely.          IMO secretary general Arsenion Dominguez condemned the recent attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and urged flag States, shipowners, operators and authorities to avoid exposing seafarers to danger by transiting the Strait. “The situation in the region remains volatile. These attacks further intensify the fear, uncertainty and psychological strain already being endured by the nearly 6,000 seafarers who remain stranded on board vessels unable to depart the Persian Gulf safely,” said Dominguez. The IMO launched its own evacuation framework last month to help ships stranded in the Arabian Gulf to leave safely, but the programme was suspended on 26 June after an attack on containership Ever Lovely near the southern sea route. Ever Lovely was not transiting under the IMO framework, but 136 ships did make it out of the Gulf under the scheme in the four days the framework was in operation.

Iran has responded to the US attacks and threats by claiming that its armed forces consider the origin of any support for the US military in its attacks on Iran to be legitimate targets. Iran will not allow US interference in the Strait of Hormuz or its management under any circumstances, the armed forces said.   The exchange of words point to potential further escalation and a return to patterns seen earlier in the conflict when Iran attacked many of its neighbours for their support of the US military. On 8 July, Iran said it had attacked US military positions in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for US aggression overnight. For shipping, the attacks this week on Qatar-flagged Al Rekayyat and Saudi-flagged Wedyan, both assets of state companies, point to Iran’s willingness to hit its neighbour’s maritime assets.          Iran has justified attacks on merchant ships in the southern Strait of Hormuz route by claiming all transits of the waterway need to be cleared by its authorities. The southern route is administered by Oman and the US, and Iran has not attacked any ships using the corridor it controls in the north.

MarineTraffic reported an increase in crossings of the Strait of Hormuz on 7 July to 41, noting a declining use of the southern Omani route.