Washington has issued an urgent warning to American-flagged vessels to avoid Iranian waters and ignore any boarding orders from Tehran’s forces, reflecting fears that Iran could try to seize a U.S. ship as leverage in the growing standoff. The Strait of Hormuz, carrying one-fifth of global oil, now feels like a frontline where a single radio call or radar contact could ignite a wider regional war.

The alert followed a tense incident when the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Imperative was shadowed by six IRGC boats north of Oman. Armed crews ordered the ship to stop over VHF radio, but the captain refused as a U.S. warship escorted it away. British maritime monitors confirmed the encounter while Iran claimed no security event occurred.

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~HT.408~