Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Mar 7: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck an oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings from Iranian naval forces, according to the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency.
The report said the tanker, operating under the commercial name Prima, was targeted by an Iranian drone after it failed to comply with restrictions on movement through the waterway imposed for security reasons. The IRGC Navy had reportedly issued multiple alerts instructing vessels not to pass through the strait during the ongoing conflict.
Iranian authorities said the Strait of Hormuz has been under their control for eight days since the outbreak of hostilities following joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The IRGC warned that commercial ships and oil tankers linked to what it described as “hostile states” would not be allowed to pass through the route.
Despite the latest incident, Iranian officials have insisted that the strait has not been completely closed. According to a report by Tasnim News Agency, a senior IRGC officer told state television that reports claiming Iran had fully blocked the waterway were incorrect. He said Iran continues to regulate shipping in the area according to international navigation rules.
Iranian state media also quoted a military source saying that while the strait remains open, vessels associated with the United States or Israel could be treated as military targets.
Echoing the same stance, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said during an international conference in New Delhi that Tehran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz and has no immediate plan to do so. He added that Iran would make a formal announcement if such a decision were ever taken.
Iranian military officials have maintained that while normal commercial traffic is allowed under international agreements, vessels suspected of disguising military activity as commercial movement could be intercepted. They also emphasised that in wartime Iran reserves the right to regulate navigation through the strait.
Tensions in the region escalated after the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Khamenei, several senior military commanders and hundreds of civilians. Tehran has since responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US-linked assets across the Middle East.