Strait of Hormuz routes Iran calls illegal reportedly set for closure

Reuters, carried by The Straits Times, reports that Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the Revolutionary Guards’ commander, told Fars News Agency on October 7 that routes Iran considers illegal would soon be blocked, including a passage near Oman. Naqdi alleged small boats use the routes to smuggle oil to tankers. The report cites provisional Kpler data showing regional crude exports topped pre-war levels on 14 days in September, including oil shipped outside Hormuz.