Iran seeks to tighten control over strait of Hormuz alongside Khamenei funeral

Ahmad Vahidi, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, arrives at the Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran on Sunday. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Ahmad Vahidi, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, arrives at the Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran on Sunday. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Analysis Iran seeks to tighten control over strait of Hormuz alongside Khamenei funeral Patrick Wintour in Tehran IRGC warnings force ships to turn back as Tehran uses passages from Qur’an to send messages to Gulf delegations The diplomatic and military contest for control of the strait of Hormuz has intensified alongside the dramatic scenes of mourning for the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, with some claiming Khamenei’s legacy ultimately depends on Tehran’s grip on the waterway, and so the global economy. Over the past 48 hours, as crowds have swirled in Tehran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appeared to have started to plug a gaping and growing gap in their monopoly control of the strait. Calls for killing of Trump at funeral of Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei Read more A large number of ships stuck in the strait for weeks had last week started to use a US-backed southern route close to the shores of Oman to break free, leaving Iran controlling the less-used and more-mined northern route. The French president, Emmanuel Macron , upped the stakes on Thursday by announcing the go-ahead for plans agreed with the UK to send a mine-clearing naval force to clear the southern route, a plan that was rejected by the Iranian foreign ministry as unwarranted and unjustified interference. But on Saturday at least 8 ships turned around after direct IRGC warnings. The flow of ships on Sunday dropped further. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre also said a vessel in the Red Sea sent a distress signal after it was attacked by “unknown armed assailants” off the coast of the Yemeni port city Hodeidah. UKMTO said authorities were investigating the incident. View image in fullscreen Vessels in the strait of Hormuz last week. Photograph: Reuters The shipping monitor Marine Traffic said its data showed 38 confirmed crossings through the strait of Hormuz on 2 July, a 10% day-on-day decline. Iranian-flagged activity rose sharply to 11 crossings from two the previous day, while nine crossings in contravention of sanctions were also observed. “Route selection shifted towards the Iranian and Dark or Unknown corridors, as Omani route use weakened,” the organisation said. Oil prices have fallen by as much as 40% from a high of $125 (£93) a barrel to about $75 a barrel, a figure that lessens the inflationary impact on western economies, and reflects the growing availability of oil on world markets. The memorandum of understanding signed digitally on 17 June by the US and Iran required Tehran to use its best endeavours to restore traffic to levels before the blockade. Iran also agreed it w