Iran "orders" traffic in the Ormuz Strait. New shipping corridors under IRGC control

The Ormuz Strait formally remains expensive, but Iran imposes new transition rules for merchant ships. The movement of units is to take place in designated corridors near the island of Larak, under the supervision of structures associated with IRGC.

This is the case he once again reported on the X Shanaka Anslem Perer platform. If these reports are confirmed, this will mean that Tehran not only restores freedom of navigation after a period of war disruption, but builds a system of controlled transit, subject to its own rules, political interests and financial accounting.

Two shipping corridors near the island of Larak

According to an alert published by Shanaka Anslem Perera, a few hours after the ceasefire, which was to restore movement by Ormuz Strait, IRGC issued a directive ordering merchant ships to use two alternative routes near the island of Larak.

According to this account, the movement towards the entrance to the Strait would be conducted north of the island, while the movement going out – south of it. All ships would have previously agreed to move with the IRGC Navy and the new rules would apply until further notice.

As a justification, seamines previously deployed by Iran on standard shipping routes have been identified. It is they who are to explain the delineation of new routes and the need to direct traffic in a narrower, more closely supervised layout.

Not the opening of the trail, but its submission

But that is not the end of the matter. In the description cited by the author, alternative routes are not merely used to circumvent the threat. In practice, they are to direct traffic through a narrow corridor running in Iranian territorial waters, near the island of Larak.

There's a difference. This is not a full restoration of freedom of navigation, but a model in which Iran sets an acceptable way to go through one of the world's most important energy routes. Commercial vessels they are not simply to pass through Ormuz, but to pass through a region whose rules of operation are determined by the IRGC.

In this sense, mines create a problem, and Iranian-designated corridors – the only acceptable solution. Shipping is therefore not directly blocked, but is subject to a strict control system.

Approval, verification and escort procedure

According to the alert, the vessel operator is to contact IRGC related brokers and provide basic unit data, including IMO number, owner information, cargo manifest, crew list and destination port.

The relevant IRGC structures in Hormozgan Province would then assess such voyage and assign him a certain status. If the unit receives approval, it is to receive a check-in code and instructions for crossing corridors in the Larak area.

Only then would it be possible to continue the procedure involving radio call in the VHF band, confirmation of AIS data and escort by a patrol boat. The report shows that the passage is to take place individually, the ship after the ship.

This is an important detail, because it shows the scale of control. It is not only a matter of indicating a safer route, but of actually managing the movement of individuals and deciding who, when and under what conditions can pass through that area.

Non-dollar charges

In the same relationship, there is also a toll thread. According to the author for tankers, they would amount to about one dollar per barrel. Payments would be made in yuan via the Chinese CIPS system or in stablecoins through channels linked to the Iranian island of Qeshm.

If that is true, the matter goes beyond the safety of shipping and affects a much wider problem. It is not only about controlling maritime traffic, but also about trying to build a settlement mechanism outside the dollar system, where the strait becomes not only a strategic point but also a source of current influence.

This is why it is difficult to consider such a model solely as a safety measure. It is more like a system of political and military transit management in which the movement of ships is subject to both operational control and financial logic.

The Ormuz Strait is not closed, but it is not really free either

The entry also stated that during the first 24 hours of the mechanism, 15 to 20 ships would pass through, while before the war the average daily movement was about 138 units. At the same time, some 400 ships were expected outside the strait.

If these numbers are correct, they show the scale of the disturbance and at the same time confirm that we are not dealing with the normal functioning of the trail. The Strait can formally remain expensive, but actually functions according to new rules.

And that's what seems crucial today. The closed strait would mean open escalation and a high risk of military response. Control over this route gives Iran something much more useful: impact on traffic, ability to select individuals, political pressure and current revenue.

A new control model for one of the world's most important energy routes

From a strategic perspective, the importance of these reports is serious. If Iran really builds such a system, it tries to transform Ormuz from an international shipping route into a corridor through which traffic takes place on dictated terms. via IRGC.

This changes the logic of the whole crisis. The problem would no longer be merely the threat of blocking the Strait, but the gradual appeasement of the world with a situation where transit through Ormuz remains possible only after prior agreement with the Iranian side.

For now we are talking about a message based on an entry published on the X platform. However, the design of this scenario shows a good indication of the direction in which the situation can develop: not towards restoring freedom of navigation, but towards a sustainable model of controlled transition.

Source: Shanaki Anslema Perery entry published on X platform