Iran warns ships will be 'dealt with' for using new Hormuz route, as US rejects tolls
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten 'appropriate measures' against vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz without authorization, denouncing a new Oman-coordinated route as a US-Iran agreement on free passage enters its 60-day window.
Background: Hormuz after the war
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow 30-km waterway between Iran and Oman, was effectively blocked by Iran during the more than 100-day US-Iran war. Its future is central to ongoing talks. A memorandum of understanding signed last week reopens the strait for commercial traffic, but only grants free passage for 60 days.
- Iran and Oman announce study of potential service fees for strait administration; Marco Rubio rejects any tolls during Gulf visit.
- IRGC warns unauthorized crossings unacceptable; Liberian tanker Stoic Warrior uses new Oman-coordinated route.
IRGC warning and the 'new route'
On Thursday, June 25, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared any unauthorized crossing 'unacceptable and extremely dangerous', threatening 'appropriate measures' against non-compliant vessels.
The only authorised route for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is the route announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
They criticized an unnamed authority's new maritime route. The sole approved corridor runs along Iran's coast.
A tanker tests the waters
The warning followed the Liberian-flagged tanker Stoic Warrior's transit on Thursday along a route close to Oman's shore, hugging the UAE coast and rounding the Musandam Peninsula. That route, developed with the International Maritime Organization, bypasses IRGC control, prompting Iranian frustration.
Vessels not complying will be dealt with.
The fee dispute
Iran plans to impose 'droits de redevance' (service fees) after the 60-day free period, while the US insists Hormuz is an international waterway. On Tuesday, Iran and Oman said they would study possible costs for strait administration services. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Gulf states, reiterated that Washington would not accept tolls.
Diplomatic tension
The dispute underscores post-war leverage: Tehran views control of the strait as a tool to pressure adversaries and the global economy. With the 60-day clock ticking, the new route and fee debate could complicate final agreement negotiations.
