Sea mines have resurfaced as a threat in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran claimed Oct.17 that two oil tankers caught fire after striking the explosives, raising fresh alarms over the safety of one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.
asserted
tankers → resurface → lanes
This came as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) warned that sea mines pose a serious threat to vessels navigating the strategic waterway and while Tehran continues to maintain its own unauthorized shipping corridor inside its territorial waters.
asserted
Tehran → come → waters
"The traffic separation scheme, the information that we have is that they still have mines.
asserted
they → have → mines
And of course, whilst the conflict is ongoing, it's very difficult for us to use third parties to verify that it is clear of these hazards," IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told Fox News Digital.
asserted
Dominguez → use → Digital
"So in the meantime, we cannot guarantee that a vessel that intends to transit that route will not be hit by a mine."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said Saturday that two oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported, citing Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
asserted
Reuters → guarantee → Agency
State media also said both tankers were carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, according to Reuters.
uncertain
tankers → say → Reuters
IRNA also reported that the vessels had switched off their positioning and radar systems and attempted to use a route through the strategic waterway that Iran had not authorized.
asserted
Iran → report → that
The second tanker was left immobilized after striking a mine, according to the Reuters report.
uncertain
tanker → leave → report
The alleged strikes came as Tehran continued to maintain its transit passageway inside Iranian territorial waters, imposing tolls and safety fees administered by the IRGC — a framework rejected by Washington and the IMO as inconsistent with international maritime law.
asserted
Tehran → allege → law
International shipping through the narrow chokepoint has historically relied on an IMO-approved traffic separation scheme adopted in 1968.
asserted
shipping → rely → 1968
"Right now there's only one route that was adopted back in 1968 that is approved and recognized for IMO and that appears in all the charts for the vessels to operate," Dominguez explained.
asserted
Dominguez → be → charts
"There's only one route that should be used for transit, but it's not clear of mines right now, so it's not safe."
asserted
it → be → mines
"We have received confirmation from Iran about the establishment of its temporary route in the waters," he added before stating that the route was not provided with "an official confirmation or a decision of the organization."
asserted
route → receive → organization
"Any other route needs to actually be sent to the organization to go through the processes, and we have not received that."
asserted
we → need → that
"We have received communication from Iran to use that route because of the conflict," Dominguez clarified.
asserted
Dominguez → receive → conflict
"That's the way that it's been presented.
asserted
it → present → ?
But anything for us to approve needs to go through the mechanisms at the international maritime organizations and the member states need to review it.
asserted
states → approve → it
"
The developments also came amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran over ending the conflict and restoring maritime traffic.
asserted
developments → come → traffic
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a former Revolutionary Guard commander, said Tehran considered Washington's latest response to negotiations "insufficient," Reuters reported, according to IRNA.
uncertain
Reuters → say → IRNA
Rezaei said the U.S. had accepted some of Iran's seven conditions but that other issues remained unresolved, adding that Tehran was no longer responding to Washington and that the U.S. needed to clarify the outstanding matters.
asserted
U.S. → say → matters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran had submitted a proposal to Washington through Qatar, which is mediating the negotiations, outlining conditions under which the Strait of Hormuz could reopen and normal maritime traffic resume within seven days.
uncertain
traffic → say → days
"Our situation is clear and based on the seven-day proposal presented to the US.
asserted
situation → base → US
They shared comments which we are reviewing, but our proposal is still on the table and if there is any honesty on the US part, which there isn't, the way to reopening the Strait of Hormuz is obvious
asserted
way → share → Hormuz
," Araqchi said in Baghdad, Reuters reported
Meanwhile, attacks on commercial vessels around the Strait of Hormuz have surged over the past two weeks.
asserted
attacks → say → weeks
Senior Iranian officials also told Reuters that Tehran has shifted its strategy for attacking commercial vessels during that period.
asserted
Tehran → tell → period
For commercial shipping operators, Dominguez warned that the continued threat of mines and attacks means the waterway has yet to return to normal operations.
asserted
waterway → warn → operations
The Strait of Hormuz is "not open for business in the way that it was before the conflict started," he said.
asserted
he → start → way
"Our role right now is to prepare for when we have the opportunity to go back, resume the operations, follow all the procedures at IMO, but not until the root causes are addressed and those are beyond IMO."
asserted
those → prepare → IMO
Fox News Digital reached out to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for comment.
asserted
Digital → reach → comment
The Aporia
