According to Qods News Agency (QNA) — an Iranian state-aligned outlet with close institutional ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and widely regarded as a semi-official mouthpiece of the hardline security establishment in Tehran — the Naval Force of the IRGC has issued a stark warning declaring that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must use only the navigation routes officially designated by Iran, following reports that an alternative shipping corridor had been announced by unspecified authorities without prior coordination with Tehran.
In a statement released early Thursday, the IRGC Navy described the newly announced route as “unacceptable and extremely dangerous,” asserting that it had been introduced without the knowledge or approval of Iranian authorities.
The statement underscored that the only authorized navigation corridors through the strategically critical waterway are those previously communicated by Iran, and warned that any vessel operating outside these designated passages would be entering what Tehran characterizes as prohibited and potentially hazardous areas.
“The movement of ships outside the announced routes is highly dangerous and forbidden,” the IRGC Navy stated, urging all maritime operators to refrain from using any unauthorized passages through the strait.
The force further specified that coordination with the IRGC Navy is mandatory for all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and must be conducted through maritime Channel 16 — a standard international distress and calling frequency — effectively placing Iranian military oversight at the center of commercial and naval transit through one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints.
The IRGC Navy concluded its statement with an unambiguous warning that vessels found in violation of these regulations would face “appropriate action” by Iran, language that maritime security analysts are likely to interpret as a veiled threat of interdiction or seizure.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated 20 percent of the world’s oil supply transits daily, has been a recurring flashpoint in Iran’s strategic posturing toward the United States and Gulf states. Tehran has on multiple occasions threatened to close or restrict access to the waterway in response to sanctions pressure or military confrontation.