Iran has issued a sweeping warning to international shipping companies and maritime service providers, cautioning that commercial entities knowingly supporting US military operations against the Islamic Republic will face “economic, legal, and retaliatory countermeasures,” according to a report published Monday.
The warning, carried by Iran’s Nournews agency and attributed to a military official with direct knowledge of the matter, signals an escalation in Tehran’s efforts to disrupt the logistical backbone of American military presence in the region. Iranian authorities are reportedly compiling detailed intelligence on private vessels, commercial operators, and maritime firms involved in supplying US forces—activities the official argued cannot be treated as purely commercial given their direct contribution to US military operational capacity.
Iran’s Armed Forces are currently verifying information on companies and vessels linked to the US Military Sealift Command, which relies on commercial shipping to transport fuel, ammunition, equipment, food, and other essential supplies. The official stressed that Tehran’s assessment will focus on each entity’s actual role rather than nationality, vessel flag, or registration—a deliberate move to circumvent legal protections often afforded by third-country registration and commercial intermediaries.
Among the firms identified in Iranian intelligence gathering are industry heavyweights including Maersk, Schuyler Line Navigation, Crowley Government Services, Overseas Shipholding Group, Seabulk Tankers, and Patriot Contract Services. A list of vessels under scrutiny includes the SLNC Corsica, SLNC Goodwill, SL Hawaii, Liberty Power, TORM Timothy, Overseas Mykonos, Stena Polaris, and Maersk Peary, among others.
However, the official cautioned that inclusion on the list does not imply equal culpability. The extent and nature of each entity’s involvement will be determined only after Iran completes its documented investigations and cross-referencing, which the source emphasized are ongoing and not limited to the companies and vessels already named.
The warning carries a pointed message for the maritime industry: “Companies and service providers cannot knowingly participate in military logistics during wartime while claiming to be merely commercial actors,” the official said, adding that third-country registration, commercial intermediaries, or private-sector designations would not necessarily shield entities from scrutiny.
“War does not come at a cost only on the battlefield,” the official concluded, warning that those who provide commercial and logistical infrastructure for military operations against the Islamic Republic “should not expect their involvement to remain hidden.”
The statement comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran positioning itself to counter what it perceives as direct threats to its national security through economic and maritime channels. The full scope of potential retaliatory measures remains unclear, but the warning underscores Tehran’s readiness to expand the confrontation beyond traditional military domains into the commercial shipping lanes that sustain US operations.
Source: Press Tv edited by Al-manar English website