Bimco is joining the chorus warning ships about operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a note Tuesday, the global industry group said Iran could threaten ships, crews and cargoes "with direct links to the US or its closest allies".
"With the attacks on tankers off Fujairah and in the Gulf of Oman in May and June 2019, attacks against shipping in general cannot be ruled out. This could be in an Iranian attempt to disrupt freedom of navigation in and out of the [Middle East] Gulf, or as the result of collateral damage," wrote Bimco's Nina Stuhrmann.
"It is expected that Iran will seek options for retaliation that include an element of plausible deniability of involvement, as this will make it more difficult for the US to justify retaliatory action and help stoke up the political differences domestically in the US, as well as between the US and its usual allies."
The note follows on warnings from the US Maritime Administration and UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) in the immediate wake of the US airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month and a retaliatory missile attack.
Like those alerts, Bimco told shipowners to report voyages to the UKMTO. It also suggested owners strengthen the ship's watertight integrity, firefighting capabilities and improve lookout after a thorough risk assessment.
Bimco also warned shipowners that, in light of new sanctions against Iran's metals industry, to do extra due diligence to make sure their counterparty is not subject to sanctions.
