Iran threatens 'forceful response' against ships using unapproved routes in Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing US talks

Jun 29, 2026

Iran's joint military command has threatened a forceful response against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that deviate from Tehran-approved routes. The warning comes amid indirect peace talks in Doha following a June 17, 2026 ceasefire agreement. While the US and regional partners promote an alternative southern route hugging Oman's coastline to bypass Iranian control, Tehran insists on its sovereign authority to regulate the waterway, using its strategic position as leverage.

Strait of Hormuz partial reopening

▪Under a June 17, 2026 memorandum of understanding, the United States and Iran agreed to a 60-day ceasefire and a partial reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
▪On July 1, 2026, 45 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz, with 21 transiting via an alternative southern route hugging Oman's coastline.
▪The June 17, 2026 memorandum of understanding allowed commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for a 60-day period.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran

▪US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28, 2026, killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at his compound on the first day of the war.
▪The United States military conducted at least 96 separate airstrikes in and around Bandar Abbas, Iran, between February 28, 2026, and April 8, 2026.

IRGC seized commercial vessels

▪The MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, two container ships seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in April 2026, remain detained in Iran.
▪At least 49 attacks on commercial vessels have been recorded in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war on February 28, 2026.

Bandar Abbas civilian impact

▪An Israeli airstrike on March 26, 2026, destroyed an apartment building on Khushnoodi Street in Bandar Abbas, killing three people and injuring seven.
▪According to the Red Crescent, 261 people, including civilians and military personnel, have been killed in Iran's Hormuzgan province during the conflict.

Iran ceasefire leverage strategy

▪Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected a US-led security dialogue in Bahrain, stating that US Central Command cannot establish legal order in the Persian Gulf.
▪Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command threatened a forceful response against any vessel failing to comply with its approved routes in the Strait of Hormuz.