June 26, 2026
Tehran reasserted its right on Friday to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against siding with the US, a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war.
Iran was responding to what it called an "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" joint statement by the United States and six Gulf states that rejected Iran's insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait.
"Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran's role as a coastal state into account," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X.
Underlining the risks facing shipping, Iranian state TV later reported that three foreign tankers attempting what it called an "unauthorised passage" of the strait were turned back after a warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It gave no further details.
