Tehran: Any vessel seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz “must obtain permission from Iran,” the navy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated. The announcement was made by Alireza Tangsiri on Wednesday via the US social media platform X, emphasizing the enforcement of this new regulation.

According to Anadolu Agency, Tangsiri highlighted incidents involving the ships Express Rome and Mayuree Naree, which reportedly attempted to traverse the strait without obtaining the necessary permissions. These vessels, relying on what Tangsiri described as “empty promises,” faced consequences as they were intercepted for ignoring the warnings.

The situation in the region escalated following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, resulting in over 1,300 casualties, including the death of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and over 150 schoolgirls. In retaliation, Tehran launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Since early March, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that typically handles approximately 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily, along with about 20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade. This closure has already impacted global oil prices.

In response to the ongoing tensions, US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran on Tuesday. He threatened unprecedented military consequences if Iran had placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz and did not take action to remove them.