Washington warns US-flagged vessels near Iranian waters
The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has issued an advisory to all US-flagged vessels to steer clear of Iranian territorial waters while transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
IMAGE: Flags of the US and Iran. Getty Images
The development has lifted Brent crude’s price, with market participants once again factoring in an Iran-related risk premium.
“Oil prices received a boost as tensions between the US and Iran resurface,” two analysts from ING Bank noted.
Iranian forces have used small boats and helicopters and “attempted to force commercial vessels into Iranian territorial waters, including as recently as February 3, 2026,” the DoT said.
The advisory also urges vessel captains to deny Iranian forces permission to board US-flagged ships.
The advisory, issued by the US DoT’s Maritime Administration wing, comes after the first round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran in Oman on Friday.
In December 2025, US President Donald Trump said Washington would confront Tehran if the OPEC member progressed with its nuclear ambitions.
Threat to commercial vessels
Geopolitical instability, particularly in the Middle East, has long posed risks to key maritime routes and commercial shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are among the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, given their strategic roles in linking major producing regions with global energy markets.
By Aparupa Mazumder
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