Iran is asserting firm control over one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, announcing that 25 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz in a single day under its coordination, a signal of authority as tensions with the United States and Israel remain dangerously elevated.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Tuesday that the vessels, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial carriers, safely passed through the strategic waterway over the past 24 hours after obtaining authorisation. The statement was published through the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News.
In language that was equal parts bureaucratic and combative, the IRGC Navy said it was "firmly carrying out intelligent control" over the strait, warning that any "act of aggression" would be met with a "strong and crushing response," Xinhua reported.
Later on Wednesday, as reported by Al Jazeera, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) published a new map of Hormuz on X, marking a controlled maritime zone that vessels will not be able transit without its authorisation.
The authority said the zone stretches from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to south of Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates, at the eastern entrance of the strait, and from the tip of Qeshm Island to Umm al-Quwain at the western entrance.
ALSO READ: Israel Expands Operations In Lebanon, Strikes Kill 31 Amid Ceasefire
The announcement comes against a backdrop of sharply escalating regional hostilities.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait beginning February 28, barring safe passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States, a retaliatory measure following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. In a counter-move, the United States has imposed a naval blockade on the strait, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz carries enormous strategic weight. Roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes through the narrow passage between Iran and Oman, making it a pressure point capable of sending global energy markets into turmoil.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close it entirely during past standoffs with the West.
ALSO READ: Iran's IRGC Claims It Shot Down US' MQ-9 Drone, Fired At Intruding F-35 Fighter Jet
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.