Iran announces new rules for ships passing through Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would be handled under “new procedures”.

CNN reported that the statement was likely Tehran’s first response to Washington’s decision to suspend Project Freedom, a short-term military operation aimed at escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States launched the mission on Sunday but suspended it on Tuesday, citing progress in peace talks.

Iran’s statement did not specify what the new procedures would involve. Tehran thanked captains and shipowners in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea for cooperating while passing through the strait “in accordance with Iranian rules”.

Iran had earlier said it intended to control ship traffic through the strait and charge fees for safe passage, drawing criticism from the international community.