IRGC strikes oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz after warning

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings to halt movement through the strategic waterway.

According to Iran’s state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, the tanker — operating under the commercial name “Prima” — was targeted by a drone after it continued sailing despite security restrictions imposed by the IRGC navy.

Officials said the tanker had violated navigation instructions issued amid heightened tensions in the region. The strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime routes for global energy shipments, has been under heightened Iranian control since the start of military strikes against Iran by the United States and Israel.

Iranian authorities said the security restrictions followed the killing of the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the attacks, which also reportedly resulted in the deaths of several senior military commanders and civilians.

The IRGC warned that vessels linked to what it described as “hostile states” would not be permitted to pass through the strait during the current conflict.

Despite the incident, Iranian officials have denied reports that the country has fully closed the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior IRGC officer, speaking in an interview broadcast on Iranian state television and cited by Tasnim News Agency, said claims that Tehran had shut the waterway were inaccurate.

“Iran has not closed the strait,” the officer said, adding that shipping movements would continue to be managed in line with international maritime regulations.

However, Iranian military sources have warned that vessels belonging to the United States or Israel could be treated as legitimate military targets if they attempt to transit the area.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh also said during an international conference in New Delhi that Tehran had no immediate plans to close the strait. He added that any decision to do so would be formally announced.

The latest development comes amid escalating hostilities across the region, with Iran launching several waves of missile and drone attacks against Israeli and US-linked targets following the strikes that killed Khamenei.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, remains one of the most strategically significant shipping routes in the world, carrying a substantial portion of global oil exports.

With IANS inputs