ROME, March 31. /TASS/. Three thousand vessels have been blocked in the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict around Iran, Radio-1 reported citing representatives of transport companies operating in the port of Dubai.
According to the radio station, transport companies are forced to restructure routes by combining sea segments with overland routes across the Arabian Peninsula. This has led to transportation costs rising by more than 200%, while delivery times have tripled.
On February 28, the United States and Israel began a war against Iran. The largest Iranian cities, including Tehran, came under strikes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, attacking Israel. US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates· and Saudi Arabia were also struck.
The Iranian authorities also decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to the United States, Israel and countries that supported aggression against the Islamic Republic. During the conflict, several tankers were attacked for passing through the strait without Tehran’s permission. On March 25, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran had allowed vessels from friendly countries, including Russia, India, Iraq, China and Pakistan, to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.