Iran is preparing to use alternative ports outside its southern region in an effort to bypass a U.S. naval blockade, Iranian media reported on April 15, following Washington’s announcement of restrictions on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports.
According to Mehr News Agency, Tehran is drawing up a plan to circumvent its southern ports. While details of the plan remain limited, experts have previously noted that facilities such as the Jask Terminal could enable exports via the Sea of Oman, effectively bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian forces have effectively closed the strait following the start of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign against the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28 and the United States announced its own blockade on April 13 after peace talks with Iran failed.
The report said that Tehran aims to maintain oil and trade flows without relying on heavily monitored southern waters.
Iranian military officials earlier warned that if their ports are targeted, all regional ports could be put at risk. Authorities in Tehran described the U.S. blockade as a “serious violation of sovereignty.”
Amid growing uncertainty in the region, around 400 cargo ships and oil tankers are reportedly waiting for clearance to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Experts stress that the crisis continues to exert significant pressure on global energy supplies and maritime trade.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said American forces had completely halted commercial trade entering and leaving Iran by sea, which he claimed accounts for 90 percent of Iran’s economy.
“In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Cooper said in a post on X.
Earlier, the U.S. military said it had intercepted eight Iran-linked oil tankers since the start of the blockade on April 13, according to the Wall Street Journal.
However, despite CENTCOM’s assertion that no vessels had passed through the blockade, maritime tracking data from provider Kpler indicated that at least two ships departing Iranian ports crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
