TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s top diplomat has warned that any attempt by shipping to bypass its preferred route through the Strait of Hormuz would “increase tensions” in the Middle East, as US and Iranian forces again traded attacks across the vital seaway, underscoring the fragility of a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued the warning on Sunday, urging all parties to adhere to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached with the United States this month, which was aimed at putting a lasting end to the war that began in February. “Any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements compared to what is underway by the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to more complicated situations and delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and will increase the tensions,” Araghchi stated.
The exchange of attacks over the weekend highlighted the fragility of the ceasefire. Early on Sunday, US Central Command said it had attacked 10 Iranian military targets over “continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.” Iran then said it had carried out retaliatory strikes against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, which were both denounced by the host nations.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that all maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz must adhere to routes designated by Tehran and coordinate with Iranian authorities, signalling a tightening of control over the strategic waterway. The IRGC Navy warned on Thursday that safe passage is only possible via officially approved routes, stating that any alternative shipping routes are “unacceptable and unsafe.” “The movement of vessels outside these routes is prohibited, and we warn against any travel outside of the announced routes,” an IRGC announcement stated.
This move follows remarks by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, who suggested that the situation in the Strait would “never return to how it was before the war.” In the MoU with the US, Iran agreed to ensure the safety of commercial shipping from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman within 60 days, but it conditioned this on all vessels fully complying with Iranian authorities’ procedures. This has led to a standoff, with reports that dozens of vessels have travelled along a corridor hugging the Omani coast this week, bypassing the Iranian-designated route. Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, wrote on X that as long as Iran manages the strait, Washington’s “hegemonic dreams in the region will not be realised.”
Experts have warned there could be more incidents in the Strait, with HA Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute noting that for Iran, “a drawn-out negotiation accompanied by controlled pressure in the strait can work to its advantage.”
