Sri Lanka, March 25 -- A Pakistan-bound container ship has been stopped from crossing the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces amid the escalating war in the Middle East.

The vessel, SELEN, sailing from the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah anchorage toward Karachi, was forced to reverse course at the entrance to the crucial waterways due to the absence of transit authorisation, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Amid war with the US and Israel, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world, while saying it allows safe passage for vessels from Israel, the US and other parties linked to the conflict. Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through the st...