On September 7, Iranian authorities revealed that major consultations on a maritime‑safety agreement with Oman had been completed. The framework will include a temporary safe passage crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Ostensibly designed to facilitate commercial shipping transit, the passage will in practice be subject to Iranian‑led approval, further consolidating Tehran's de facto control over this globally critical oil‑shipping chokepoint.
Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated publicly on September 6 that Iran intends to designate a new maritime exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz. The zone stretches from US‑enforced blockade lines all the way to crude‑oil loading terminals in the Persian Gulf. Any merchant vessel entering this designated area without prior approval will be added to Iran's sanction list, facing potential risks including navigation restrictions and vessel detention.
Iran also issued a diplomatic warning to South Korea against taking part in military operations linked to the Strait of Hormuz, discouraging Seoul from being dragged into regional conflict. In parallel, Iran unveiled its new solid‑fuel ballistic missile "Qasim Bashir" to demonstrate military deterrence and send risk‑escalation signals to the global shipping community.
The temporary‑safe‑passage model means commercial vessels will no longer enjoy free transit through the Strait of Hormuz and must complete pre‑clearance via bilateral coordination. Uncertain approval timelines will extend vessel turnaround cycles, raise operating costs for tankers and bulk carriers, and push war‑risk insurance premiums even higher.
Enforcement of the maritime exclusion zone will shrink safe‑navigation space across Persian Gulf waters, forcing large numbers of tankers and container ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope. Re‑routing adds thousands of nautical miles to voyages, creating substantial delivery‑time losses for Middle East and Red Sea trades. Container‑freight and tanker‑shipping rates for Middle‑East lanes will remain under strong upward pressure.
Freight forwarders and cargo owners need to reassess supply‑chain strategies, prioritize alternative intermodal routing options, monitor daily strait‑transit updates closely, and build longer lead‑time buffers into logistics arrangements.
Full implementation rules for both the safe passage and maritime exclusion zone have not yet been fully released, and enforcement standards remain subject to change. Should US‑Iran hostilities escalate further, the temporary passage could be shut down at short notice, leaving global energy and container supply chains in a high‑risk environment.
信息来源 Source：凤凰网 / 环球时报 | 发布时间 Publish Date：2026‑09‑08
