Iranian authorities on Tuesday stopped and turned back a Karachi-bound vessel, the container ship Selen, in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said the ship failed to follow legal protocols and did not have the required permission to transit the strategic waterway.

Why Was The Ship Turned Back?

The Iran Embassy in Afghanistan also confirmed the development on X, noting that the passage of any vessel through this waterway requires full coordination with the maritime authority of Iran. In a post on X, the Iran Embassy in Afghanistan wrote, “IRGC Navy Returns a Ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The container ship SELEN was turned back by the IRGC Navy due to failure to comply with legal protocols and lack of permission to pass through the #Hormuz Strait. The passage of any vessel through this waterway requires full coordination with the maritime authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

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Iran Allows Non-Hostile Vessels To Pass

The move underscores Iran’s strict control over maritime traffic in the Strait amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Iran on Wednesday informed the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organisation that “non-hostile vessels” may pass through the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities. The note from Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was sent to the 15-member Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday and circulated to 176 members of the London-based UN shipping agency, which oversees international maritime safety.

It asserted that non-hostile ships, including those belonging to or associated with other countries, may transit the strait if they do not take part in aggression against Iran and follow all safety and security regulations. According to a Reuters report, the ongoing conflict has nearly halted about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the strait, disrupting energy supplies.

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