Iranian official reportedly says fuel ships may not pass to Europe through the Strait of #Hormuz If Iran carries out its threat to block oil tankers heading to #Europe, the EU will be in serious trouble.

Iran detains MSC Aries ship over allegedly 'violation of maritime law' #Iran has decided to detain The MSC Aries ship bound for Israel due to its violation of maritime law, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani has said. "Iran is constantly working to ensure the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. However, the aforementioned vessel was sent to Iran's territorial waters due to its violation of maritime law and for ignoring the requests of the Iranian authorities," he told a news conference broadcast by Iran's SNN TV channel. As Kanani noted, Iran monitors "all ships in the strategic strait" and prevents violations of the country's sovereignty. Tehran favors "the freedom of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international norms and will always act in this vein," the Foreign Ministry spokesman added.

Islamic regime hijacked Portuguese-flagged ship The #Islamic regime in #Iran #hijacked the Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC #ARIES. According to a Visegrád 24 report, the Islamic regime in Iran just hijacked the Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC ARIES, assisted by a helicopter. She was sailing from the UAE to India when it was hijacked near the Strait of Hormuz. Reportedly, 20 Filipino sailors are kidnapped. The ship is part-owned by an Israeli firm, the "Zodiac Maritime" group. Iran confirms seizure of MSC Aries in Strait of Hormuz. "The Navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps seized the commercial vessel MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRNA news agency reported."

Iran is ‘directly involved’ in Yemen Houthi rebel ship attacks, U.S. Navy’s Mideast chief tells AP Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the Navy’s 5th Fleet, stopped short of saying Tehran directed individual attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, Cooper acknowledged that attacks associated with Iran have expanded from previously threatening just the Persian Gulf and its Strait of Hormuz into waters across the wider Middle East. "We targeted the American military cargo vessel 'OCEAN JAZZ' with anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea," claims Yemen's Ansarullah

According to an exclusive Yemeni source, Ansarullah is considering implementing a plan they call the 'Al-Aqsa Triangle', by closing all three of the Middle East's major waterways: Bab Al-Mandab, Strait of Hormuz, and the Suez Canal

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claim they can shut down the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. 🔶️ “They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, (the Strait of) Gibraltar and other waterways,” Tasnim quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Guards, as saying. 🔶️ Iran has no direct access to the Mediterranean itself and it was not clear how the Guards could attempt to close it off, although Naqdi talked of “the birth of new powers of resistance and the closure of other waterways.” 🔶️ “Yesterday, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped … in the Red Sea,” Naqdi was quoted as saying.

Remember why they call this "The #Middle". It straddles the main East-West route between Europe-Asia. The bulk of tankers (all those red dots) moving in and around that area, with four major maritime chokepoints: 1. Turkish Straits 2. Suez Canal 3. Bab-el-Mandab 4. Straits of Hormuz