Iran expands claimed military control over Strait of Hormuz

Iran has said it is significantly expanding the area around the Strait of Hormuz over which it claims military control, in a move that has drawn a sharp rejection from the United Arab Emirates and renewed warnings from the United States. A map published by Iran's newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority claims Iranian armed forces oversight across more than 22,000 sq km, extending into the territorial waters of Oman and the UAE. The strait is one of the world's most important shipping routes, making any claim over transit there closely watched by governments and shipping companies.

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The authority said all transit through the strait requires coordination with and authorisation from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority. The UAE's diplomatic adviser to the president, Anwar Gargash, rejected the claim as "nothing but fragments of dreams" and said Iran was trying to impose a new reality after what he described as a military defeat. The US and Gulf allies have repeatedly rejected Iranian attempts to assert control over the waterway, and the US has told ships not to comply with Iran's rules.

The latest claim comes as maritime tensions in and around the strait remain high. Media linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published footage this week that it said showed a "punishment" strike on a tanker in the strait. Analysis of the footage matched key characteristics of the vessel with Barakah, a Liberian-flagged tanker that reported being struck by unknown projectiles in early May, according to the ship's operators.

The same reporting also said US forces boarded an Iran-bound oil tanker on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman, before later releasing it after a search and a change of course. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint for global energy and trade, and disputes over access to it have long carried wider economic and security implications. Iran has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, under which ships are generally guaranteed safe passage through another country's waters.

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That legal position sits at the centre of the current dispute, with Iran asserting authority over transit while the US and regional states reject that claim. The creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority appears to formalise a claim that Iran has previously advanced through military and political pressure. The involvement of the IRGC-linked media also underlines the role of Iran's security establishment in shaping the message around the strait.

For the UAE, the issue is not only about shipping but also about maritime sovereignty, given that the claimed area extends into waters it says are its own. What remains unclear is how far Iran intends to enforce the new claim in practice, and whether shipping operators will alter routes or procedures in response. It is also not clear whether the tanker footage and the reported strike will lead to any further escalation at sea.

The next developments to watch are any formal response from Gulf states, any new US maritime guidance, and whether there are further incidents involving vessels transiting the strait.

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