Iran warns vessels to follow designated route in Strait of Hormuz or face ‘decisive action’

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned vessels on Tuesday to use only designated routes when transiting the Strait of Hormuz, saying deviations would be considered unsafe and could prompt a “decisive action.”

“All vessels intending to pass through the strait must use a corridor previously announced by Iran, and any deviation would face firm action,” the IRGC Navy said in a post on the US social media company X.

The statement described the designated route as the “only safe passage” through the strategic waterway.

The warning comes after remarks by Yadollah Javani, deputy political chief of the IRGC, who said maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz would take place only with Iran’s authorization.

Javani said any vessel seeking to pass through the waterway must obtain permission from Iran’s armed forces, according to remarks carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

He said the “new management” of the strait would form the basis of a broader regional and international order.

Javani also warned that vessels belonging to what he described as “hostile” actors would face decisive action.

The warning comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, including a second consecutive day of reported strikes targeting the United Arab Emirates.

Authorities in the UAE said air defenses intercepted waves of missiles, cruise missiles and drones launched from Iran, with an earlier attack causing a major fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.

Regional tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.

Since April 13, the United States has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.