IRGC says two vessels hit by accidents after ignoring warnings in Strait of Hormuz

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Tuesday that four vessels, which it described as "violating vessels" acting with the support of "American terrorists," switched off their navigation systems and ignored warnings from the IRGC Navy's Hormuz Strait control base. According to a statement from the IRGC Navy, the vessels attempted to disrupt traffic and exit the strategic waterway through an unsafe route. "Two of them suffered accidents and stopped in place, and two others abandoned continuing on the route," the statement said.

The IRGC Navy reiterated that control of the Strait of Hormuz is fully in its hands and that the only safe transit corridor is the route officially designated and announced by Iranian authorities. It added that "not a single drop of oil, gas or chemical fertilizer" would pass through the strait without coordination and permission, repeating a position previously stated by Iranian officials. The statement concluded by warning that vessels influenced by "the American enemy" and entering unsafe routes "will certainly suffer an incident."

This incident occurs amid heightened tensions in the region. Over the last eight nights, the US military has conducted waves of airstrikes on Iran and reinstated a blockade of Iranian ports, actions that Iran says violate a war-termination deal. Iran has accused the United States of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian facilities and killing dozens of people. The escalation followed the United States' alleged violation of the Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding of June 17, which involved unauthorized naval movements through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Navy intercepted the vessels to enforce the agreement.

According to Mehr News Agency, the IRGC Navy's statement underscores Iran's firm control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments. The report added that the situation remains tense as both sides continue to accuse each other of aggression.