Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 18, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
“When this waterway is used to transport military equipment that directly threatens Iran’s national security, managing and restricting traffic is not only a right, but a strategic duty of our armed forces,” Safavi said at a defense research conference. More than 20% of the world’s oil and energy passes through the strait, he said, and its importance has grown as global markets become more volatile.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said Monday that it struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day, a tanker that had turned off its GPS system and was attempting to exit the strait despite warnings from Iranian forces.