Amidst US-Iran tensions, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy is tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz, imposing restrictions on maritime traffic and raising concerns about potential conflict.
Key Points
- Iran's IRGC Navy restricts Strait of Hormuz access to civilian vessels using Iranian-designated routes.
- Military ships are barred from transiting the Strait of Hormuz under new Iranian directives.
- Iran links maritime restrictions to a potential '40-day war scenario' if ceasefires are violated.
- All maritime movement in the Strait of Hormuz requires prior authorisation from Iranian naval authorities.
Amid the United States's continued blockade of Iranian ports despite the Islamic Republic announcing the opening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy issued new directives restricting maritime movement through the strait, stating that only civilian vessels using Iranian-designated routes will be permitted passage and asserting that all military ships are barred from transiting the strategic waterway.
According to a statement reported by Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC Navy outlined four key points regarding navigation rules in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints.
Key Navigation Rules in the Strait of Hormuz
The four key points follow Speaker of Iran's Parliament, M B Ghalibaf, slamming US President Donald Trump on X after Trump said that the US blockade on the ports of the Islamic Republic will continue until a full agreement with Iran is completely finalised.
In his post, Ghalibaf asserted that maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz will be strictly controlled by Tehran, stating that passage will be allowed only through designated routes and under Iranian approval.
According to IRIB, the IRGC Navy stated that civilian vessels are required to adhere strictly to routes officially designated by Iran and further emphasised that safe passage is permitted only for civilian ships operating under Iranian regulations, while military vessels are explicitly prohibited.
Implications of Iranian Maritime Restrictions
"Civilian vessels can only navigate the routes officially announced by Iran. Safe passage is only permitted for civilian ships, according to Iranian regulations. No military ship has the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz or enter or transit the Strait," the IRGC Navy stated in its statement, as quoted by IRIB.
The IRGC Navy also stated that any maritime movement in the region would require prior authorisation from its naval authorities, effectively placing all traffic under Iranian clearance.
In a more sharply worded warning, the statement linked the restrictions to the two-week "temporary ceasefire" situation, cautioning that if the ceasefire is violated, conditions in the Strait could revert to a "40-day war scenario," during which even commercial shipping could be halted.
US Blockade and Potential Conflict
This comes after Trump, in a post on Truth Social, declared that the American naval blockade of Iranian ports will persist until a comprehensive peace agreement is finalised with Tehran, despite Iran's move to restore access to the Strait of Hormuz.
'The naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran only until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.'
He further noted that 'this process should go very quickly', the post read.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, remains one of the world's most sensitive shipping routes, with a significant share of global energy exports passing through it.
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