Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have halted six commercial ships from passing the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by the Tasnim news agency on Sunday.
Tasnim, which is linked to the IRGC, said the organization was enforcing control over an area of 240,000 square kilometres in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC stated that no vessel would be allowed to pass without complying with Iranian regulations. It also warned that any attempts by the US military to alter the course of ships would be met with “a decisive response and warning shots.”
Tanim reported that the affected ships had turned back.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai appeared to contradict the Tasnim report, telling English-language state broadcaster PressTV that there had been no change in shipping conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Baghai pointed to ongoing bilateral discussions with officials from Oman, whose territorial waters extend into part of the crucial waterway.
The dispute over navigation rights along the vital corridor for oil, natural gas, and fertilizer exports is one of the main triggers for the latest escalation in the military confrontation between Iran and the United States.
The stand-off has already led to a sharp decline in commercial shipping through the strait and heightened concerns over global energy supplies.