Iran plans to establish a restricted zone around the Strait of Hormuz and sanction vessels entering without coordination, security chief Mohsen Rezaei said. Tehran also claims the waterway remains closed, while warning of military action against ships amid tensions with the United States
Iran’s top military command declared that no vessel can safely transit the Strait of Hormuz without its permission, rejecting US claims of control. The statement came after President Donald Trump asserted America’s “total control” over the strategic waterway, describing a naval blockade as a “wall of steel.”
The United States launched a seven-hour wave of strikes on Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz after resuming a naval blockade of vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports. CENTCOM said the operation targeted missile, drone and coastal defence capabilities.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has ruled out fresh negotiations with the United States until five key provisions of the recently signed peace MoU are implemented, including ending the war in Lebanon, lifting the US naval blockade, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, waivers for Iranian oil exports, and release of frozen assets.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Iran’s Ambassador to India after Indian-flagged vessels, including a crude oil tanker, came under fire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz. While the crew remained safe, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed multiple incidents, including a container ship hit by a projectile.
