Ships advised to keep their distance from Iran around Hormuz Strait
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Iran, Israel Trade Blame As Commercial Shipping Is Threatened By Conflict
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. sanctions. The International Maritime Organization is concerned about the impact of Iran’s actions on the Red Sea. The U.N. agency is responsible for ensuring the safety of the world’s shipping lanes. It says Iran is trying to use its influence in the region to impose its will on the rest of the globe. It is also concerned that Iran is using its influence with the Houthi rebels in Yemen to destabilize the country’s political and economic situation. The Houthis are fighting a government-backed government in Yemen.
Iran’s delegation told a session of the International Maritime Organization’s security committee that Israel had in recent days extended its “unlawful attacks” to include petrochemical and gas infrastructure in Asalouyeh along Iran’s Gulf coast.
“These actions directly endanger international maritime security and the global energy supply chain,” Iran said in a statement to IMO delegates, which was livestreamed.
“If the international community fails to take urgent and concrete measures to halt this unlawful aggression, the risk of escalation at sea becomes imminent.”
Iran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Any closure of the strait could restrict trade and affect global oil prices.
Commercial ships are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran’s waters around Hormuz, shipping sources said on Wednesday.
Former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has said that tankers and liquified natural gas cargoes should only transit the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected Donald Trump’s demand for unconditional surrender on Wednesday, and the U.S. president said his patience had run out, though he gave no clue as to what his next step would be.
Israel’s mission told delegates the IMO’s foundational principle of global maritime navigation safety was being “openly and aggressively threatened” by Iran, partly through support of Yemen’s Houthi militia, whose attacks have severely disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal and Red Sea in recent years.
“Iran has turned our whole region and the Red Sea specifically into a war zone. Through its political, financial and military backing of the Houthi rebels, Iran has enabled a campaign of maritime terrorism against civilian vessels,” Israel said.
“It seeks to weaponize the world’s busiest sea lanes, hold international shipping hostage, and impose its will through violence.”
The London-based IMO is responsible for regulating the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution and comprises 176 member state countries.
The statements from Israel and Iran on Wednesday were noted by the Maritime Safety Committee, an IMO spokesperson said.
The agency has faced growing pressures that it was becoming politicised.
In 2023 Russia said the IMO was departing from its technical role because of “external pressure”, which was impacting the fair treatment of all member countries.
Iran’s offer to host a maritime event in 2023 was rejected after a proposal led by the United States to rescind the bid was approved in a vote.
(Reuters)
Ships advised to keep their distance from Iran around Hormuz Strait
Commercial ships are sailing close to Oman and are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran’s waters around the Strait of Hormuz. Any closure of the strait could restrict trade and affect global oil prices. The Gulf of Oman is 200 miles (320 km) wide and is bordered by Oman and Iran, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, which have territorial waters of 12 miles. The two shipping lanes are just 2 miles (3km) wide in either direction in the Persian Gulf, Strait ofHormuz and the Gulf of Sultanate of Oman. A larger cluster of ships was sailing closer to the Omani coast on Wednesday, while mainly Iranian-flagged vessels were sailing within Iranian waters, according to ship-tracking data.
LONDON (Reuters) -Commercial ships are sailing close to Oman and are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran’s waters around the Strait of Hormuz, with the risk of the conflict between Israel and Iran escalating, shipping sources said on Wednesday.
Iran has in the past threatened to close the critical Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Any closure of the strait could restrict trade and affect global oil prices.
In the latest measure, ships sailing towards Hormuz are looking to minimise risks and are sailing close to Oman’s coast for much of the journey.
The Gulf of Oman is 200 miles (320 km) wide – much of it international waters – and is bordered by Oman and Iran, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, which have territorial waters of 12 miles.
Journeys will still need to be made through Hormuz itself, which is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point. The two shipping lanes are just 2 miles (3 km) wide in either direction.
A larger cluster of ships was sailing closer to the Omani coast on Wednesday, while mainly Iranian-flagged vessels were sailing within Iranian waters, according to ship-tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform.
“Taking into account that during the past, there have been incidents of violations of freedom of navigation and maritime safety for merchant vessels near the shores of Iran, we strongly suggest that Greek-flagged vessels sail, if possible, away from waters of Iranian jurisdiction when in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman,” the Greek Shipping Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement read by a television presenter on Wednesday that his country will not accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for an unconditional surrender, in his first comments since Israel began bombarding Iran on Friday. Iran has responded with deadly barrages across Israel.
Electronic interference with commercial ship navigation systems has surged in recent days around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf, adding to risks for sailors hauling oil cargoes.
Average earnings for the supertankers that carry a maximum of 2 million barrels of oil have surged in recent days to over $50,000 a day from over $20,000 a week ago, according to analysts.
“The regional threat level remains significant as strikes continue from both Iran and Israel,” the multinational, U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces JMIC Information Center said in an advisory, adding that the maritime threat level is elevated.
QatarEnergy has instructed tankers to remain outside the Strait of Hormuz and to enter the Gulf only the day before loading, amid military strikes between nearby Iran and Israel, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Renee Maltezou and Marwa Rashad; Editing by Rod Nickel)
Israel strikes western Iran and Tehran as Gaza death toll rises
Blasts were heard across the north and east of the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday. Video footage shared online showed smoke billowing from targeted areas in Tehran. It came as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described on Wednesday as “unacceptable” an ultimatum from US President Donald Trump.
Video footage shared online showed smoke billowing from targeted areas in Tehran.
It came as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described on Wednesday as “unacceptable” an ultimatum from US President Donald Trump calling for the nation’s “unconditional surrender,” saying his country will never surrender.
The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said Israel’s offensive in Iran has killed at least 585 people and wounded 1,326 others, while Israel says dozens have been killed and hundreds wounded in retaliatory Iranian strikes.
In the Gaza Strip, more than 30 people have been killed including 11 waiting for aid in Israeli strikes and gunfire across the territory since the start of the Wednesday, according to rescuers.
Trump knocks Fed’s Powell, muses about appointing himself to lead central bank
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not reappoint Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair. Trump has long criticized Powell and sparked market concern earlier this year. The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday. The decision will be announced at 2 p.m. ET (4 p.a. ET) on Thursday. For confidential support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
Item 1 of 2 U.S. President Donald Trump gestures with Jerome Powell, his nominee to become chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 2, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday knocked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for what he expected would be a decision not to lower interest rates and said the man he put in the role during his last term had done a poor job.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, mused about appointing himself to lead the U.S. central bank, based on his dissatisfaction with Powell.
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“Maybe I should go to the Fed,” Trump said. “Am I allowed to appoint myself at the Fed? I’d do a much better job than these people.”
Trump has long criticized Powell and sparked market concern earlier this year when he suggested the central bank chief’s termination couldn’t come fast enough . Trump has since walked back from that rhetoric, saying he would not fire Powell before his term as chair ends next year, but he has not held back on his broader criticism and has made clear that he will not ask Powell to stay on as the central bank’s leader.
“What I’m going to do is, you know, he gets out in about nine months, he has to, he gets fortunately terminated … I would have never reappointed him, (President Joe) Biden reappointed him. I don’t know why that is, but I guess maybe he was a Democrat… he’s done a poor job,” Trump said.
The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday as its policymakers weigh signs of a cooling economy, the risk of higher inflation from U.S. import tariffs, and the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Trump expressed disappointment in advance of the decision and underscored his belief that the Fed had been too late at cutting rates.
“I call him ‘too late Powell’ because he’s always too late. I mean, if you look at him, every time I did this I was right 100%, he was wrong,” Trump said.
Reporting by Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci
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Israel-Iran War Updates: Ships advised to keep their distance from Iran around Hormuz Strait
Israel-Iran War Updates: Ships advised to keep their distance from Iran around Hormuz Strait. Iran has blamed the US for backing Israeli military actions. The Middle East now teeters on the brink of broader war, as both sides escalate their moves.
By CNBCTV18.COM | Jun 18, 2025 11:32 PM IST (Updated)
Israel Iran War Updates: The Iran-Israel conflict has entered its sixth day, with Tehran signalling interest in dialogue through Arab intermediaries. Amid rising tensions, Iran has blamed the US for backing Israeli military actions, while Israel continues targeting Iran-aligned forces across the region. The Middle East now teeters on the brink of broader war, as both sides escalate their moves. Stay tuned here for all the latest updates on the ongoing Israel-Iran ongoing conflict.
Israel Iran War Updates: The Iran-Israel conflict has entered its sixth day, with Tehran signalling interest in dialogue through Arab intermediaries. Amid rising tensions, Iran has blamed the US for backing Israeli military actions, while Israel continues targeting Iran-aligned forces across the region. The Middle East now teeters on the brink of broader war, as both sides escalate their moves.
Stay tuned here for all the latest updates on the ongoing Israel-Iran ongoing conflict.