Hormuz crisis intensifies

Hormuz crisis intensifies
Sam Chambers April 20, 2026 https://splash247.com/hormuz-crisis-intensifies/

The Strait of Hormuz has lurched through a dizzying sequence of openings, closures, vessel attacks and a US naval boarding in the past three days, leaving commercial shipping operators very concerned about the safety of their fleets in the region.

The crisis deepened dramatically this weekend as Iran announced the strait was open, only to reverse course less than 24 hours later and reinforce the reversal by attacking a tanker and a container vessel

Adding to the complexity for shipowners, Iran has begun announcing that vessels willing to pay a toll covering what it describes as “safety and security services” will be prioritised through its waters. For most international shipping lines, the proposition is a non-starter: compliance would put them squarely in conflict with US OFAC* sanctions rules and risk their American business entirely.

The most dramatic episode came when US armed forces shot into the engine room of the Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, disabling the vessel before boarding and seizing it under the terms of the US blockade. AIS data suggests Touska was approximately 40 nautical miles from Iran’s Chabahar port at the time.

CENTCOM confirmed that guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance had intercepted the ship as it transited the Arabian Sea at 17 knots toward Bandar Abbas, and that shots were fired after repeated warnings over a six-hour period. Touska has been under OFAC sanctions since 2020.

Iran’s military headquarters denounced the seizure as “armed maritime piracy” and promised a swift response.

Amid the turmoil, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has designated a new maritime route near the strait. Named the Larak Corridor and announced via state broadcaster IRIB on April 19, the route runs from waters south of Hormuz Island to areas south of Larak Island – a move widely interpreted as an attempt by Tehran to assert administrative control over traffic even as the military situation remains deeply volatile.

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*OFAC- Office of Foreign Assets Control