U.S.-flagged ships are being advised to stay “as far away as possible” from Iranian waters when navigating the Strait of Hormuz as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran.

in a Notice The U.S. Maritime Administration issued a statement on Monday saying captains should deny Iranian forces permission to board U.S. ships.

An agency affiliated with the U.S. Department of Transportation said there had been boarding attempts as recently as February 3, including forcing commercial ships into Iranian waters by small boats and helicopters.

If Iranian forces board a U.S.-flagged merchant ship, crew members are advised not to “forcibly resist boarding personnel,” the notice said. Failure to resist forcefully does not constitute consent or agreement to board the aircraft, it added.

The advisory recommends that ships sailing eastward in the Strait of Hormuz should stay close to the Oman waterway side.

The guidance comes after a round of indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Oman on Friday that focused on how to handle discussions about Tehran’s nuclear program. The meeting was the first between the two countries since U.S. bombers attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities last June during a 12-day war with Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the talks as “A step forward,” It also signaled that this would be the beginning of a long-term diplomatic process, not a quick fix. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said official media Talks are a “good start”.

President Donald Trump says Oman talks “very good” and plans to hold more meetings, even as he warned Iran of the consequences if a deal is not reached “very steep” Consequences for Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will Meet Trump in Washington Wednesday to discuss U.S.-Iran negotiations. Israel, a close U.S. ally, has lobbied Washington Abolish Iran’s nuclear programcurb its ballistic missile program and end support for militant groups in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, returned to the spotlight this year after Trump warned of possible military action against Tehran.

According to statistics, by 2025, approximately 13 million barrels of crude oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz every day Data from market intelligence Kpleraccounting for nearly one-third of global seaborne crude oil flows.

Any disruption to these flows would ripple through global energy markets. Iran has been Threaten to shut down This has occurred in the strait during past standoffs, raising the possibility of higher oil prices.