Iran Navy may board U.S.-flag ships

   The U.S. Maritime Administration has advised operators of U.S.-flag ships that they should “protest but comply” with boarding requests by the Iranian Navy.
   “Reports from maritime forces and commerical maritime interests indicate concern with the potential for localized disruption to shipping in conjunction with future Iranian naval exericises,” MarAd said in a Dec. 23 advisory.
   “During previous exercises Iranian maritime forces conducted boardings and inspections of merchant ships, including those flagged to European nations. The possibility exists that Iran will attempt to conduct boardings and inspections during exercises between December 2011 and March 2012. The most likely location for this activity would be in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, particularly in areas closer to Iranian territorial waters.
   “If a U.S.-flag vessel is hailed for boarding by the Iranian Navy in international waters, the ship’s master should ‘protest but comply,’ if circumstances warrant,” MarAd said.
   The agency advised U.S.-flag vessels to report incidents to the maritime operations center at the Naval Forces Central Command and Maritime Liaison Office in Bahrain.
   The advisory comes amid growing concern about shipping in the region.
   An article posted on the Voice of America Website Wednesday morning said “Iran has threatened to block the shipment of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if western governments try to impose sanctions on its petroleum exports in response to the country’s nuclear program.”
   It added “Iran’s navy chief told state television Wednesday that it would be easy to close off the strait, but that such action is not necessary at this time,” and noted that the comments came a day after Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said that if Iranian oil is banned, “then not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”
   Iran’s naval forces began a 10-day exercise in the strait and nearby waters on Saturday. – Chris Dupin