Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, July 27, 2026. Photo: Reuters.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) says that passage through the Strait of Hormuz is currently impossible because of the continued “aggressive actions” of US military forces in the region, adding that applications for transit would only be processed once stability returns.
“Due to the continued aggressive actions of the United States military forces in the region, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is not possible,” the authority said in a Friday statement, issued in response to repeated inquiries from applicants.
It added that all pending requests would be reviewed in chronological order once the situation stabilizes.
“As soon as stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed based on their order and schedule, and permits will be issued gradually,” the statement said.
The announcement comes amid US aggression on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on US assets.
The US has been attacking Iran since earlier in July after Washington violated the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was meant to permanently end the war that the US and Israeli regime unleashed against Iran in late February.
The understanding has recognized Iran’s rights and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and said Iran was responsible for removing restrictions that it has imposed over the Strait of Hormuz for vessels affiliated with aggressors and their supporters since the start of the aggression on February 28. However, the US attempted to undermine Iran’s sovereignty by establishing an unsafe corridor near the Omani shores.
The unlawful US measure prompted Iran’s firm response to re-impose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran says any movement in the strategic chokepoint must be conducted under Iranian arrangements, as per the understanding.
The latest statement follows a series of incidents in the Strait involving vessels attempting to use unauthorized routes.
Iran’s Shock Strike Strategy Against US Assets Opens Multiple Fronts
Earlier on Friday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said two “violating” oil tankers were struck and forced to stop in the Strait of Hormuz after attempting to pass through an unauthorized route under US military escort.
In a statement, the IRGC said four other tankers quickly reversed course after the incident. It said the two vessels had ignored repeated warnings and attempted to transit through an “unsafe and illegal route.”
The latest incident comes a day after the IRGC declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as long as US threats and interference in the region continue.
In a separate statement issued on Thursday, the IRGC said two oil tankers had attempted to use an “unsafe southern route” after being directed by US military aircraft.
According to the statement, one of the tankers caught fire, forcing both vessels to reverse course.
“The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the brave men of the IRGC Navy firmly control it. No outsider who has come from thousands of kilometers away will be allowed to interfere,” the IRGC said.
The US attacks on southern Iranian provinces have been met with a strong response by Iran against US bases in regional countries as the Iranian Army and the IRGC launch multiple waves of Operation Nasr 2 and Operation Sa’eqeh, pounding US-run bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region, among others.
(PressTV)
