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Iran Warns Tankers to Use OK'd Routes 07/02 06:11
Iran's joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving
through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a "forceful
response," again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for
international energy supplies.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Iran's joint military command warned
Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its
approved routes or face a "forceful response," again ratcheting up tensions
over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies.
The strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has emerged as one of the
top issues in negotiations to reach a permanent end to the Iran war. The
statement from the Khatam al-Anbiya military command, reported by Iranian state
television, comes after both U.S. and Iranian diplomats met with mediators on
Wednesday in Qatar.
It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the threat from Iran. However, the
U.S. military's Central Command had put out a statement about having a meeting
with officials from Mideast nations in Bahrain that said "leaders underscored
their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of
Hormuz."
That appears to have been the phrase to anger Iran, which is preparing for
the funeral that begins this weekend for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, who was killed in the war's first moments in February.
"Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard
for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of
Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed
forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels," the Iranian
statement said.
It also said the continued presence of U.S. fighter jets over the strait
"causes insecurity in this waterway and threatens regional security."
"Any attempt by the United States to interfere in security matters or any
disruptive action in the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a threat to Iran's
national sovereignty and will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction," the
Iranian warning added.
Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships
to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control
the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades
of practice in the waterway.
The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they won't agree to the charges. An
effort by Oman and a United Nations agency to launch a new route near Oman's
shore sparked attacks across the Mideast last weekend, highlighting the
tensions.
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