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

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press By — David McHugh, Associated Press David McHugh, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-warns-oil-tankers-to-use-approved-routes-in-strait-of-hormuz-or-face-a-forceful-response Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Iran warns oil tankers to use approved routes in Strait of Hormuz or face a 'forceful response' World Jul 2, 2026 4:40 PM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's joint military command warned 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, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, 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 U.S. and Iranian diplomats met with mediators Wednesday in Qatar. READ MORE: Ship runs aground in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media says It wasn't clear what sparked the threat from Iran. However, the U.S. 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. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. That could 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 that interference by U.S. forces in the strait "will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction." 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. READ MORE: Trump says Iran has requested a meeting with U.S., but Iranian officials say nothing has been scheduled The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they won't agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait. An effort by Oman and a United Nations agency to launch a new route near Oman's shore sparked attacks across the Mideast last weekend, highlighting the tensions. Despite the attacks, ship traffic in the strait continued to rebound. At least 258 ships transited the waterway last