The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has reportedly added 122 vessels to its list of tankers accused of violating transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Obsidian Risk Advisors Managing Principal Brett Erickson believes Tehran could be preparing for fresh strikes.
Vessels Negotiating Removal from List
According to a report by Iran’s semi-official news agency Mehr on Monday, the PGSA said that it had dealt with 40 non-compliant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that of the 122 vessels, 19 vessels were negotiating terms to be removed from the list.
30 vessels had not yet responded to warnings and will be added to the list if they fail to respond, the news agency said. The report also outlined that two of the vessels had accepted removal by “fulfilling obligations.”
Brett Erickson Warns Iran Preparing Fresh Strikes
Following the news, Erickson took to the social media platform X on Monday, sharing his take on the reported sanctions list, saying that, in his view, the move “indicates” that Iran was “preparing to ramp up their strikes THROUGHOUT the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and not just in Hormuz.”
Earlier, the analyst had warned that Iranian strikes on vessels beyond the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman indicated that Iran was “taking it easy” on President Donald Trump. He also warned that strikes on vessels may lead to the end of “ship-to-ship” transfers.
Notably, the Trump administration was also reportedly weighing easing restrictions on previously sanctioned vessels to be able to transport oil from unsanctioned origins amid record-high oil prices.
Iran Targets Undersea Cables
Amid talks of possible escalations, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that Tehran could target undersea cable infrastructure. “All of the world’s internet and commercial data depend on them,” the spokesperson said.
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