Some ships refusing US-military guided Hormuz transits after attacks, sources say

By Jonathan Saul and Renee Maltezou

LONDON/ATHENS, July 15 (Reuters) – Shipping companies are avoiding using a U.S. military-guided transit scheme through the Strait of Hormuz after a wave of Iranian attacks on vessels sparked safety concerns, seven maritime security and shipping industry sources said.

For decades ships sailed into and out of the Gulf using a safe set of lanes down the middle of the strait established by the U.N.’s shipping agency in 1968 dubbed the Traffic Separation Scheme.