Trump issued a strongly worded warning on his Truth Social platform, writing, "Remember when I gave Iran ten days to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz?" Time is running out. Only 48 hours remain before all hell breaks loose!

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy announced that it had attacked the MSC Ishyka container ship (IMO 9154206, MMSI 636016457-  sailing under the flag of Liberia.)in the Persian Gulf, describing it as being "linked to the Zionist regime" and stating that it had caught fire. They specified that they had targeted a ship 'linked to Israel' (presumably due to the nationality of Gianluigi Aponte's wife, the owner of MSC) in the Strait of Hormuz with a drone strike, which also caused a fire. Until a few hours ago, the container ship in question was reported to be docked in the Khalifa Bin Salman port in Bahrain.

Iran has introduced protocols for transiting the Strait.

Meanwhile, according to some local media, Iran has authorized the passage of ships carrying essential goods and humanitarian supplies to its ports through the Strait of Hormuz. The Tasnim news agency reported this, citing an official letter that states that ships bound for Iranian ports, including those currently in the Gulf of Oman, must coordinate with authorities and comply with established protocols for transiting the Strait.

15 Turkish-owned vessels in the strait. 

In the last few hours, it emerged that a second Turkish vessel had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, following a container ship from the French company CMA CGM. This was confirmed by Ankara's transport minister, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, who explained that, at the outbreak of war on 28 February, there were 15 Turkish-owned vessels in the strait. Two of these departed and four did not request to do so, leaving nine more to be allowed through. The timing of the second vessel's passage through Hormuz remains unclear, particularly given that the Iranians continue to maintain that it is closed only to vessels from enemy countries. The first vessel passed through on 13 March.

Source :VesselFinder

Impose payment for transit through the Strait of Hormuz,

With the start of US and Israeli military operations against the Islamic Republic, the Strait of Hormuz has become a strategic advantage for Iran in the new security environment, and will never return to the status it had before. Abbas Goudarzi, spokesman for the Iranian Parliament, recently announced the start of a process to impose payment for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and made this statement. Goudarzi also confirmed that "the management of this important route is in the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces" and that "no country will have the right to transit it without Iran's permission", adding that "it will defend this strategic position with all its military power". This was reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

 Only 48 hours left before all hell breaks loose!

Notably, Trump issued a strongly worded warning on his Truth Social platform, writing, "Remember when I gave Iran ten days to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz?" Time is running out. There are 48 hours left before all hell breaks loose!" Trump had given Tehran until 6 April to open the Strait of Hormuz, which it had effectively closed since the US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February. Otherwise, its energy facilities would be bombed.

Related :Explosion reported near bulk carrier off UAE coast 15 nautical miles north of Sharjah

Source: MarineTraffic

China and shipping data analysis

Conversely, shipping data analysis has revealed that China continues to supply Iran with the significant quantities of chemicals needed to produce ballistic missile fuel despite the extensive military strikes it has suffered. According to an analysis published by the British newspaper The Telegraph, four Iranian ships that are subject to international sanctions have docked in ports in Tehran since the start of the war, while a fifth has been anchored off the coast.

It is believed that these ships are carrying sodium perchlorate, which is a vital raw material in the production of solid propellant for ballistic missiles .Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, China, home to the country's largest liquid chemical storage facility, saw the ships depart. Experts have reviewed analysis indicating that the quantities transported are sufficient to produce hundreds of ballistic missiles.

All five of the ships belong to the Iranian shipping fleet, which is subject to sanctions imposed by the US, UK and Europe. One of these is the Hamuna, which departed on 19 February, around a week before the outbreak of war. It arrived in Bandar Abbas on 26 March after a five-week voyage.

Source : Agencies

# The Telegraph # Iranian ships #ballistic missile fuel #China #Port in Zhuhai #Trump #Strait if Hormuz #Turkish vessel #MSC Ishyka container #Persian Gulf #Israel# Khalifa Bin Salman port