STOCKS | U.S. Limits Tanker Transit Through the Strait of Hormuz

The United States has required tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz to sail only during specific time windows in order to receive military protection. According to Sina Finance, the move comes after Washington stepped up attacks on vessels sailing at night. Since May, Washington has provided air cover for ships taking the route along the Omani coast on the southern side of the strait to deter Iranian attacks and help ensure some oil can be exported out of the Gulf. Shipowners must apply through the U.S. Naval Coordination Center for Shipping and Naval Cooperation and Guidance, known as NCAGS, which then gives crews navigation coordinates and allows vessels to pass during broad nighttime windows under U.S. fighter protection. Emails seen by the media showed that in early September, those transit windows were narrowed to two specific daily periods, with affected ships told to depart at designated times such as 9 a.m. One email said the center was currently providing dynamically adjusted recommended transit windows each day, while another said night transit was not the safest time of day for commercial shipping. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the NCAGS emails spoke for themselves. Since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in February, Iranian forces have attacked dozens of ships trying to pass through the disputed waterway. As both sides have intensified pressure on commercial shipping, the U.S. has shifted escort protection to fixed day and night periods.