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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy has released a new map of the Strait of Hormuz, delineating an expanded maritime area under its control, as commercial shipping through the vital waterway remains halted. The map, reported by state media on Monday, comes as the United States begins a naval operation to restore freedom of navigation in the strait, a waterway through which about a fifth of global oil supply normally passes.

Coverage comparison

Reports from Reuters, carried by multiple outlets, indicate that the new map's area begins in the west along a line between the westernmost tip of Iran's Qeshm Island and the UAE emirate of Umm al-Qaiwain, and extends east to a line between Iran's Mount Mobarak and the UAE's Fujairah. It was not immediately clear how this claimed area differs from previous declarations. Al Jazeera described the map as marking an expanded area of control that includes lengthy sections of the UAE coastline, and framed it as the latest symbol of a "war of attrition" between Iran and the US.

Key claims

  • New IRGC map: The IRGC navy issued a new map of its claimed control area in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by multiple sources via state media.
  • US operation begins: US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it would begin helping to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait on Monday, while continuing its blockade of Iranian ports, according to a single outlet's report.
  • No industry guidance: The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) said the shipping industry has received no guidance regarding the US operation and its intent, and that the security situation remains unchanged.
  • Vessels stranded: Hundreds of commercial vessels and up to 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the waterway since the start of the Iran war, a claim carried by a single outlet.
  • UAE attacks: The UAE reported drone and missile attacks, including one that caused a fire at a major energy hub in Fujairah, marking the first such incidents in a Gulf state since the ceasefire. The UAE blamed Iran, which has not officially confirmed the strikes but appeared to acknowledge them while pointing to US actions.
  • Iranian statement: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a social media post that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, "while we have not even begun yet."

Shipping remains at standstill

Despite the US announcement, there were no signs of increased vessel traffic through the Strait on Monday, a day after US President Donald Trump said the country would begin efforts to free up shipping. MarineTraffic data showed only one tanker, a sanctioned, handy-sized LPG carrier, along with a few cargo ships and a cable-laying vessel, passed into the Gulf of Oman on Monday. No tankers or other commercial vessels were seen lining up to transit, and German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said transit for its vessels remained impossible due to a lack of clarity over secure passage procedures.

BIMCO's chief safety and security officer, Jakob Larsen, said that without consent from Iran to let commercial ships transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed. BIMCO provides security alerts for the industry.

Strategic significance

Al Jazeera's coverage highlighted Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz as a "strategic equaliser" that allows Tehran to impose economic costs on the US and the rest of the world. Analysts quoted by the outlet say Iran is increasingly reliant on this control for vital leverage in its ongoing war with the US and Israel, which is formally only on pause under the ceasefire that took effect on April 8.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf's remarks, made in a social media post on Tuesday, were reported by Al Jazeera, which also noted that Tehran appeared to acknowledge responsibility for Monday's attacks on the UAE on Tuesday, while saying the US and its actions in the region were responsible.

The situation remains fluid, with the shipping industry awaiting clarity on safe passage procedures and the full extent of the US naval operation. The new IRGC map, and whether it represents a significant change in Iran's claimed control area, remains a subject of close monitoring by maritime and security analysts.