Iran reasserts its authority over Strait of Hormuz

International Iran reasserts its authority over Strait of Hormuz Comments: by Laura Kelly - 06/26/26 1:31 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Laura Kelly - 06/26/26 1:31 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Iran on Friday asserted its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that safe passage can only be guaranteed for ships that coordinate with Tehran.

The statement comes after President Trump accused Iran of hitting a commercial vessel sailing close to the coast of Oman with a one-way attack drone. The British military said the vessel was transiting through a United Nations-approved route.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on the social platform X that passage through the strait must be coordinated with Iran and that attempts to subvert Tehran could lead to “the suspension of the designated parallel route.”

“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes, or decision-making outside of Iran’s considerations as the coastal state, cannot be guaranteed,” he said.

“Any credible framework must be based on coordination with Iran and the provisions of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Otherwise, the outcome will be the suspension of the designated parallel route.”

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the U.S. and Iran last week included a paragraph for the immediate safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, as conducted to Iran’s best ability given the presence of mines in the waterway.

The MOU focused on preventing Iran from imposing tolls or fees on ships for safe passage for at least 60 days. The MOU also gave Iran the right to “define the future administration and maritime services” of the strait in dialogue with Oman, the other coastal country, and Persian Gulf littoral states.

The U.S. issued a statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday “noting that free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation, including the right of transit passage as guaranteed under international law, remains essential to regional and global security.”

Iran slammed the statement, with the Foreign Ministry claiming the right of Iran and Oman to dictate the strait’s administration and pointing to the MOU.

Iran’s alleged renewed attacks on ships transiting the strait pose a serious test to the MOU signed by the U.S. and Iran on June 17. The agreement provided major relief to global economies by establishing a ceasefire and reopening the strait, a waterway responsible for about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas that was effectively closed for more than three months.

In response to the drone strike, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) paused a plan to evacuate 11,000 stranded seafarers. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said Friday that he’s working with the U.S., Oman, Iran and other countries in the region “to find these guarantees that were provided at the beginning that vessels would not be targeted in that flow of trade … particularly to evacuate the seafarers.”

“As soon as I get further confirmation of that, we’re ready to reinitiate the process of evacuation,” he said in a virtual press briefing at the United Nations on Friday.

Trump on Friday said the drone attacks represented a “foolish” ceasefire violation but did not signal he was reimposing a U.S. naval blockade against Iranian ships, restarting U.S. military operations or calling off negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran in February opened the months-long war and led Iran to curtail travel through the Strait of Hormuz, causing energy prices to skyrocket. The strait gave Iran a new point of leverage over its allies and rivals around the world, with 20 percent of the world’s oil supply flowing through the strait.

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