In a significant move to enhance maritime security and operational safety, leading global maritime organizations have released a new guidance on May 20, 2026. The document, titled “Industry Guidance on the Safe Management of Vessel Transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” aims to assist in planning and safely managing all vessel transits into, within, or out of the Gulf region where a transit through the Strait of Hormuz may be required during periods of heightened regional security risk.

The 22-page guidance, issued jointly by major industry organisations including International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, IMCA, and OCIMF, warns that vessels may face a high workload and high-stress operating environment which may include GNSS jamming or spoofing, AIS anomalies and false target injection (AIS spoofing), heavy traffic concentration and reduced decision margins within or near the Traffic Separation Scheme, unmanned surface vessel attack, errant mines not detected during original clearance ops, missile/drone attacks including unexploded ordnance hazards on board following drone or missile strikes, shoreside stand-off weapon attacks, and others.

As ships are vulnerable to attack while both underway and stationary, it is recommended that static operations, such as anchoring or drifting, be conducted outside of increased threat areas whenever possible.

Incidents on both northern and southern routes in the SoH have been reported, including small-arms fire, projectile activity, and threats to destroy vessels using the southern route.

Ships are warned that “GNSS positioning signals and their data feed to ECDIS cannot be relied upon during the transit.”

Where electronic interference is suspected, navigational position fix intervals should be shortened and radar, visual, dead reckoning, echo sounder and other independent inputs should be used to validate the vessel’s position and track.

The document also advises vessel operators to implement enhanced bridge management procedures for the full transit, including:

• Master or Chief Officer on the bridge throughout the transit

• Additional Officer of the Watch where practicable

• Dedicated lookout or radar plotter night and day

• Manual steering when conditions warrant

• Lookout cannot be a helmsman and vice versa

• Manned engine room

• Prioritisation of critical tasks under high workload.

Vessels may need to wait for a suitable transit window, favourable naval presence or improved security threat conditions. The guidance highlights that the selection of a waiting or drifting position requires careful risk-benefit assessment.

“A secure waiting area must be determined by the respective company in consultation with their Head of Security / CSO, Master and SSO, in co-operation with military and local authorities as appropriate. No single position is universally safe: the assessment should be voyage- and condition-specific,” the guidance warns.

Furthermore, vessels operating in these waters are advised to conduct a specific pre-voyage/operation threat and risk assessment, incorporate appropriate protective measures into vessel security plans, exercise heightened caution and monitor VHF Channel 16 at all times.

In the event of attack, incident or suspicious activity, the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) should be activated and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Office (UKMTO) notified.

The guidance also instructs vessels waiting at anchor or drift to consider maintaining periodic movement (short repositioning manoeuvres at irregular intervals) to complicate targeting, particularly where the vessel, operator, flag or cargo may be of interest to hostile actors.

“Periodic movement should not induce navigational or collision risk, or conflict with port, VTS or coastal-State direction,” the document says.

The document complements the Best Management Practices Maritime Security (BMP MS) and is intended to support voyage-specific threat and risk assessment, facilitating safe shipboard and office planning.

This guidance is one of many such tools, and any planned transit must take into account all available information sources and resources.

It should also be clearly emphasised, as the industry organisations clarify, that the final decision rests with the crew and master of the ship.