Iran warns ships over Strait of Hormuz crossings without authorisation
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned vessels against crossing the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation, saying ships that do not comply "will be dealt with". The warning centres on one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, where any disruption can quickly affect trade flows and market confidence. It also comes as a tanker was reported to have used a route close to Oman's shore while leaving the strait.
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The Guards said the only authorised route through the waterway is the one announced by Iran, and described any crossing without authorisation as "unacceptable and extremely dangerous". They also criticised what they called a new route through the strait announced by "certain authorities", without naming them. Tehran has said in the past that it plans to impose maritime service fees in the future, while the United States argues the strait is an international waterway and should not be subject to charges.
The warning followed the passage of a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, the Stoic Warrior, which reportedly travelled out of the strait on Thursday using a route near Oman. According to the reporting, the vessel had signalled that it planned to transit the Strait of Hormuz before hugging the coast of the United Arab Emirates and then Oman. It then moved around Oman's Musandam Peninsula fairly close to shore, along a route laid out by Oman together with the International Maritime Organization.
The dispute matters because the Strait of Hormuz is a critical corridor for global energy shipments. The route has long been a point of strategic leverage for Iran, and the current warning adds to tensions over who controls access and under what conditions ships may pass. Any suggestion of new fees, restrictions or alternative routes can raise concern among shipping companies, insurers and governments dependent on uninterrupted passage.
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The issue also sits within wider friction between Tehran and Washington. The reporting says the future of the strait is a key sticking point in negotiations between the two sides, and that the waterway was effectively blocked by Iran during a war lasting more than 100 days between the United States and Iran. That history helps explain why even limited changes in routing or language about authorisation are being watched closely.
For now, it remains unclear whether Iran intends to enforce the warning against specific vessels or whether the new route will become more widely used. It is also not clear how shipping operators will respond if Tehran continues to press its position on maritime service fees. The next developments to watch are any further official statements from Iran, any response from the United States, and whether more ships begin using the Oman-hugging route.
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