IRGC Warns Ships to Use Tehran-Approved Hormuz Routes as 70 Vessels Resume Transit
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 25
IRGC Warns Ships to Use Tehran-Approved Hormuz Routes as 70 Vessels Resume Transit
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 25
Summary
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards told commercial ships to use only routes approved by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting a new Oman-backed corridor and ordering vessels to stay in contact with the IRGC Navy.
Oman announced the route with International Maritime Organization coordination after weeks of disruption, and the warning followed a Liberian tanker’s passage closer to Oman’s coast than Iran’s preferred lane.
The dispute tests a 60-day US-Iran memorandum signed last week that reopened the strait, requires Iranian demining within 30 days and promises safe passage with no charge only during the interim period.
Traffic has recovered only partially—confirmed crossings reached 70 on Wednesday versus 120 to 140 before the war—while uncertainty over fees, inspections and route control still deters operators.
The waterway carries about 20 million barrels a day, roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows, making its postwar governance a major fault line in broader US-Iran peace talks.
With Iran's IRGC defying the peace deal, is the Strait of Hormuz on the brink of a new crisis?
Will future global trade through the Strait be governed by international law or by Iranian fees?
As Iran's nuclear stockpile grows, is control of the world's oil its true deterrent?
Strait of Hormuz Shipping Plunges 40% Amid Iran’s New PGSA Regime, Mine Threats, and Global Sanctions Standoff
Overview
Iran, through its Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), has imposed strict new rules on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, requiring every vessel to obtain a PGSA passage permit and special war insurance before entry. These permits must be applied for 48 hours in advance, and route details are given to captains a day before departure. Insurance is only valid on PGSA-approved routes near Iran’s coast, and any deviation is strictly forbidden. These measures have forced all recent shipping to use Iranian-designated routes, significantly impacting global shipping patterns and raising operational risks in this vital waterway.