Islamabad, April 14 (IANS) Two Pakistani-flagged oil tankers, named Khairpur and Shalamar, which were moving towards the Strait of Hormuz made a 180-degree turn and changed their route, local media reported on Tuesday.
The two oil tankers which were heading Eastward towards the Strait of Hormuz altered their route and headed West, turning back from the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, Pakistan’s leading daily The News International reported, citing Iran’s Fars news agency.
According to the report, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains under the full management of Iran armed forces’ and vessels can travel through the waterway after coordination with Iran and obtaining the necessary authorisation.
The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, carrying nearly a fifth of global oil shipments.
US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran that any naval vessels approaching American ships enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would be “immediately ELIMINATED,” as tensions escalated following the collapse of peace talks.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that Iran’s naval capabilities had been severely degraded.
“Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated – 158 ships,” he wrote, while noting that Tehran still retains a limited number of “fast attack ships.”
“What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat,” Trump said.
He issued a direct warning to Iran against challenging the U.S. blockade.
“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal,” he added.
The warning came as the US began enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports at 10 am ET Monday (7:30 am IST), targetting maritime access in the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic efforts with Tehran broke down over the weekend.
–IANS
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