Iran releases chilling 'danger zone' map as Strait of Hormuz 'dotted with sea mines'

Iran has released a chilling “danger zone” map of the Strait of Hormuz’ Traffic Separation Scheme. The chart, which has been published by semiofficial news agencies in Iran, suggest sea mines may have been placed in the key strait after the war broke out in late February.

Released by the ISNA news agency and Tasnim, the chart dated between February 28 and April 9 shows alternative “protected” routes for ships. Originally written in Farsi, it shows a huge circle marked as “danger zone” over the route taken by oil and gas tankers which need to cross the strait. A very few number of ships have made through the waterway since the war between US-Israel and Iran broke out.

According to the data from Kpler, only four vessels with their trackers on passed through.

A spokesperson for the regime said: “All ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are hereby notified that in order to comply with the principles of maritime safety and to be protected from possible collisions with sea mines, in coordination with the IRGC Navy they should take alternative routes for transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, told the BBC on Thursday that his country will allow ships to pass through the strait in accordance with “international norms and international law” once the United States ends its “aggression” in the Middle East and Israel stops attacking Lebanon.

The closure of Strait of Hormouz has led to a big jump in oil prices, which has resulted in increase of the cost of gasoline, food and other basics far beyond the Middle East.

The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was around $98 Thursday — up about 35% since the war began.

On Wednesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that there was “big money” to be made by the US aiding in the “traffic buildup” in the Strait of Hormuz

He wrote: “We will be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes wel. I feel confident that it will.”

The US president also suggested Monday that the US could impose its own tolls on vessels trying to transit through the channel. Leaders in Tehran signaled last week it would install a “toll booth” system to exert a price on ships seeking safe passage through the strait.