26 ships pass through Strait of Hormuz in one day with Iranian assistance

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that 26 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in one day with Iranian assistance. At the same time, it said that talks between the US and Iran to resume normal navigation in the vital waterway are still at a standstill. Al Jazeera News. On Wednesday (May 20), Iran’s state news agency ISNA published a statement from the IRGC.
The statement said that the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz is being carried out with the permission and coordination of the IRGC Navy. Meanwhile, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has published a new map of the Strait of Hormuz on social media. It identifies a controlled maritime zone, where no ship will be able to pass without the authority’s permission.
The authorities said the controlled area extends from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to the southern part of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It will also include the area from the tip of Qeshm Island to Umm al-Quwain at the western entrance.
Before the war between the United States, Israel and Iran broke out on February 28, about a fifth of the world’s total energy exports were transported through the Strait of Hormuz. After the war broke out, Tehran closed the waterway. In response, US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, which has severely disrupted the country’s main source of income, namely oil exports.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Wednesday that the blockade could cause a serious crisis in global food prices in the next 6 to 12 months. The organization described the situation as the beginning of a systemic agri-food crisis. The agency also said that the crisis is escalating, leading to shortages of fuel, fertilizer and seeds, reduced production, rising commodity prices and ultimately food inflation.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said yesterday that progress had been made in talks with Iran, but again threatened military action if no deal was reached. On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that more surprises await if war returns.