Iran says vessels must obtain its permission to pass through Strait of Hormuz

ISTANBUL

Any vessel seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz "must obtain permission from Iran," navy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday.

"Were ships given assurances that they could pass through the Strait of Hormuz? This should be asked from the crews of the ships Express Rome and Mayuree Naree, who today, trusting empty promises, ignored the warnings and attempted to pass through the strait -- but ended up being caught," Alireza Tangsiri wrote on the US social media company X.

The US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which have killed more than 1,300 people, including Ali Khamenei, Iran's former supreme leader, as well as over 150 schoolgirls.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since early March. The strategic waterway normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily and roughly 20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade. The move has already pushed oil prices above.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened Iran with unprecedented military consequences if it had placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz and failed to remove them.