Iran's Revolutionary Guards Fully Take Control of the Strait of Hormuz, Threaten to Attack Ships
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it now has full control of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping lane for oil and gas. The IRGC warns that any vessel attempting to pass through this strategic waterway risks damage from missiles or drones that could go astray.
‘At present, the Strait of Hormuz is under the full control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,’ said Mohammad Akbarzadeh, an IRGC Navy official, in a statement cited by the Fars News Agency and carried by AFP on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.
The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since the United States and Israel launched waves of coordinated attacks against Iran on Saturday (28 February) local time. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes against targets in Israel and US bases in Gulf states.
The Strait is a strategic waterway handling around one-fifth of global oil trade and a significant volume of LNG exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. About 20 percent of daily global oil consumption—around 20 million barrels—passes through this corridor.
The fighting between the US-Israel and Iran has sent global crude prices sharply higher. The fighting and the closure have disrupted tanker shipping in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (3 March) that the US Navy is ready to escort tanker ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. He said he had ordered provision of political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade crossing the Gulf region.
‘If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tanker ships through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible,’ Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.
‘Whatever happens, the United States will ensure a free flow of energy to the world. The economic and military power of the United States is the greatest on Earth — further action will follow,’ the US president said.
The IRGC had previously reported its forces attacked a fuel tanker belonging to a US allied country in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire on the vessel. Tehran accused the tanker of attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz ‘illegally’.
The IRGC said that the tanker, named Athens Nova and owned by a US ally, was struck by two Iranian combat drones. The IRGC said in a statement on Monday (2 March) that the tanker remained burning in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.