ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
Iran has attacked at least three ships near the Strait of Hormuz just after President Trump said he would extend a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely. The waterway through which 20% of the world's crude oil was once transported certainly did not need more geopolitical tension yet here we are, with NPR international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam. Hey, Jackie.
JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Hey, Rob.
SCHMITZ: So first, tell us about these attacks on the ships today.
NORTHAM: Well, Iran says its Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire from a gunboat on three commercial vessels as they were about to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Now, Greece's foreign minister told CNN that one of the ships, Greek-owned, sustained heavy damage. Iran says it seized two of the vessels and has moved them into Iranian waters.
SCHMITZ: Any idea what happens with these ships now?
NORTHAM: No. Iran has not said what it's going to do. And, you know, it's uncertain what's going to happen with the crews on board these ships. I spoke with Jason Zuidema, and he's with the International Christian Maritime Association. He says there are 20,000 seafarers that have been stuck on board ships in the region for the past six weeks.
SCHMITZ: Wow.
NORTHAM: Zuidema says, you know, right now, they have enough food and water. But there are concerns how long it'll last, as well as their mental and physical health, because things are so volatile and uncertain. Here he is.
JASON ZUIDEMA: I think the situation right now is extremely fluid, with the opening and closing of the strait. It's important, I think, for many of the good shipping companies and those who are counseling them to be extremely cautious about sailing in this area.
NORTHAM: And, Rob, the International Maritime Organization has held meetings with many other associations recently, including Iranian and American ones, to try to create a corridor for the ships and seafarers to get out of the area. But as you know, there are a lot of dynamics at play right now around the Strait of Hormuz.
SCHMITZ: A lot of dynamics, and it's a little confusing. You know, President Trump announced an indefinite ceasefire in the war with Iran with the hope that negotiations will resume. And Iran has not taken up that offer and has actually attacked these ships. What is going on?
NORTHAM: Yeah. Well, Iran says that a ceasefire is meaningless unless the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted. And, you know, Iran sees the blockade as an act of war and will continue to control the international waterway. I spoke with Suzanne Maloney. And she's an Iran specialist at the Brookings Institution. She said it would be untenable for Iran to maintain control of a waterway through which a fifth of the world's crude used to pass before the war. Have a listen.
SUZANNE MALONEY: Control of the strait is a strategic issue for the Iranians first and foremost, but it is also an economic issue. And the precedent that it would set for other contested waterways in the world, I think would be really, really problematic from a strategic point of view.
NORTHAM: So, you know, it could set a worrying precedent for international maritime law in other parts of the world. Think Strait of Malacca in the South China Sea or the Bab el-Mandeb in the Red Sea. You know, freedom of navigation is just critical for the flow of goods around the world.
SCHMITZ: And, you know, yet, six weeks on, the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed. Ships are stuck and confrontations seem to be escalating. Are there any signs of a breakthrough here?
NORTHAM: Not at this point. In fact, it looks as though both sides are girding for a long blockade. You know, but there are time pressures. For Iran, the U.S. blockade is preventing a lot, not all, but a lot of its oil tankers from getting through the strait. And Iran needs those export revenues. And there's also pressure on President Trump - you know, high gas prices and the like - ahead of midterm elections. And we'll just have to see which side blinks first.
SCHMITZ: That's NPR's Jackie Northam. Jackie, thank you.
NORTHAM: Thanks, Rob. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
