Iran insists Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes must be approved by Tehran

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran stated on Thursday that safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz can only be conducted via routes approved by Tehran. The IRGC warned vessels against using newly announced shipping lanes without coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, the IRGC Navy described any new route announced for traversing the strategic waters without Iran’s knowledge or coordination as “unacceptable” and “extremely dangerous”. “The only permitted route for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is the one announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement read. The IRGC also stressed that coordination with the Iranian navy via the international maritime channel, Channel 16, is mandatory for vessels transiting the strait. Violations of this provision, according to the IRGC, will be met with action from Iranian authorities. United States President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed a memorandum of understanding on 17 June aimed at ending the war between the two countries and reaching a long-term peace agreement. The Middle East region had previously been in a state of tension since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, triggering retaliatory strikes from Tehran against US assets across various parts of the Middle East. A ceasefire came into effect on 8 April.