Iran warns oil tankers to use approved routes in Strait of Hormuz or face a 'forceful response'

Iran’s joint military command warned on Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a "forceful response,” ratcheting up tensions again over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies.

The strait has emerged as one of the top issues in negotiations seeking a permanent end to the Iran war.

The statement from the Khatam Al Anbiya military command, reported by Iranian state television, comes after both US and Iranian diplomats met with mediators on Wednesday in Qatar.

It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the threat from Iran. However, the US military's Central Command had put out a statement about a meeting with officials from Mideast nations in Bahrain that said "leaders underscored their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through" the strait.

That appears to have been the phrase that angered Iran, which is preparing for the funeral that begins this weekend for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the war's first moments in February.

"Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels,” the Iranian statement said.

It also said the continued presence of US fighter jets over the strait "causes insecurity in this waterway and threatens regional security.”

"Any attempt by the United States to interfere in security matters or any disruptive action in the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a threat to Iran’s national sovereignty and will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction,” the Iranian warning added.

Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades of practice in the waterway.

In a report apparently aimed at bolstering Tehran’s claims to control the strait, Iranian state television said this week that a foreign ship got stuck in the waterway after ignoring instructions from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. However, the vessel’s shape, reported location and other details indicate the ship is tied to Iran and appears to have been stranded for months.

Associated Press