The naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have warned commercial shipping traffic near the Strait of Hormuz against navigating through the critical chokepoint, according to an audio recording of a public maritime radio channel.
The transmission, which was provided to Xinhua by a crew member aboard a commercial vessel near the strait, showed that the IRGC navy directed its message at all shipping assets operating across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The radio dispatch stated that the Strait of Hormuz had been “completely closed” and cautioned that any vessel movement within the corridor would be dealt with “decisively.”
The broadcast warned, “For the sake of your health and safety, absolutely refrain from any movement in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.”
This aggressive naval stance comes even as diplomatic breakthrough efforts reach a critical juncture, with US President Donald Trump announcing on Saturday that a peace agreement with Iran is slated for signature on Sunday, adding that the Strait of Hormuz is set to reopen immediately following the signing ceremony.
However, the path to this diplomatic resolution remains highly volatile on the ground, following a statement from the US military late Friday, which confirmed that American forces had intercepted and downed multiple Iranian drones that were targeting merchant shipping assets within the strategic waterway.
These ongoing military confrontations underscore why the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global maritime chokepoint, serving as a primary transit corridor for international petroleum and natural gas supplies.
Commercial shipping volumes through the passage have plummeted significantly over the past few months, driven by precisely this kind of intensifying regional friction and repeated hostilities directed at merchant vessels.
The human and economic toll of this maritime conflict is reflected in data published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which shows that a total of 46 shipping incidents have been verified within the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz and across the broader Middle East theatre as of June 11, leading to 14 verified merchant crew deaths.
Tensions peaked further as the maritime body on Wednesday issued a severe condemnation regarding an offensive on a commercial oil tanker, which allegedly claimed the lives of three crew members, an incident that directly highlights the high-stakes military friction after the US military subsequently acknowledged responsibility for executing the strike.
