WASHINGTON — The U.S. Maritime Administration issued updated guidance Monday for U.S.-flagged commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Spurred by a fresh round of confrontations in nearby waters, the advisory recommends staying “as far as possible” from Iran’s territorial sea and verbally declining any request to board, while warning crews not to forcibly resist if Iranian forces board, Feb. 9, 2026.
What the advisory means for Strait of Hormuz transits
In Advisory 2026-001, the agency said commercial traffic in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman has long faced the risk of being hailed, boarded, detained or seized by Iranian forces. The notice, aimed at U.S.-flagged operators but closely watched across the industry, frames the passage as a managed security transit rather than a routine corridor.
Keep distance, without cutting corners: Ships are urged to remain as far as safely possible from Iranian waters; eastbound transits are advised to run closer to Oman’s side of the Strait of Hormuz.
Respond, but don’t concede: If hailed, crews should provide the vessel’s name and flag state and state they are proceeding under international law.
Decline boarding if safe — don’t fight if boarded: The master should verbally decline permission to board when it can be done without risking the ship and crew. If Iranian forces board anyway, crews are advised not to forcibly resist.
Stay visible and connected: The advisory recommends keeping AIS on unless specifically directed otherwise, monitoring VHF Channel 16 and coordinating with U.S. naval shipping guidance teams.
Report fast: Suspicious activity should be passed through established channels, including United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which collects voluntary reports and publishes maritime warnings.
The guidance follows a week of tense encounters. The U.S. military said it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and later reported that Iranian forces threatened to board the U.S.-flagged merchant vessel Stena Imperative as it sailed in the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Associated Press.
Why the Strait of Hormuz keeps triggering warnings
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime chokepoint between Iran and Oman, and even brief disruptions can push up shipping risk premiums and complicate energy supply planning. A Reuters report on the updated U.S. guidance noted that Iran has periodically threatened to close the passage and has seized vessels in the past, as frictions with Washington continue to simmer over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Those risks have built over years. In June 2019, two oil tankers were attacked near the waterway, sharpening concerns that commercial ships can become leverage in broader disputes. Later that summer, Iran seized the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero and held it for more than two months before releasing it, as described by The Guardian.
More recently, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the Panama-flagged tanker Niovi in the Strait of Hormuz in May 2023, according to an earlier AP report.
For ship operators, the latest U.S. notice is a reminder that a Strait of Hormuz transit is no longer treated as routine. Voyage planning, communications discipline and rapid reporting — paired with restraint during any encounter — are being stressed as the best way to keep a commercial passage from turning into a crisis.
