US wants vessels' Gulf transit plans in advance

Dubai - The US, which has increased its military forces in the region, has blamed Iran for blasts on several tankers near the Strait.

The US maritime agency has told US-flagged commercial vessels they should send transit plans in advance to American and British naval authorities if they intend to sail in Gulf waters following several incidents over tankers involving Iran.
The seizure of commercial vessels and attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz have unsettled shipping lanes that link Middle Eastern oil producers to global markets. The US, which has increased its military forces in the region, has blamed Iran for blasts on several tankers near the Strait.
Britain said on Monday it was joining the United States in a maritime security mission in the Gulf to protect vessels after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker.
"Heightened military activity and increased political tensions in this region continue to pose serious threats to commercial vessels," the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) said in an advisory on Wednesday.
"Associated with these threats is a potential for miscalculation or misidentification that could lead to aggressive actions," it added.
Ships should also alert the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations in the event of any incident or suspicious activity. It warned they could face interference to their global positioning systems.

• MENA