Greek maritime risk firm MARISKS has warned that fraudulent messages are circulating among shipping companies with vessels stranded west of the strait — promising safe passage in exchange for cryptocurrency payments in Bitcoin or Tether. ⁣ ⁣ The fake messages claim to be from Iranian authorities and ask ships to submit documents for "eligibility assessment" before being told the fee. "Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time," the message reads.⁣ ⁣ MARISKS says it is a scam — and believes at least one of the ships that was fired on while attempting to cross on April 18 may have fallen for it.⁣ ⁣ To recap where things actually stand: Iran has lifted and reimposed its Hormuz blockade twice, the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in force, and around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of ships are still waiting in the Gulf with no clear timeline for when the waterway will reopen.⁣ ⁣ #Hormuz #Iran #Shipping #MiddleEast