IRGC Navy orders container ship to leave Strait of Hormuz for lacking permit 

The Navy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has ordered a container vessel to turn away after it attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz without obtaining the required authorization.

IRGC Navy Commander Brigadier General Alireza Tangsiri said in a statement on Tuesday that the container ship SELEN was ordered to retreat after it failed to comply with legal protocols and lacked the necessary permit to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

General Tangsiri said all maritime traffic through the strategic waterway must now take place in coordination with Iran’s naval authorities.

“Any vessel’s passage through this waterway requires full coordination with Iran’s maritime sovereignty,” Tangsiri said.

While Iran has imposed strict rules for shipping, officials have repeatedly said the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed to lawful traffic.

Iran has clarified that the Strait is only closed to vessels belonging to “aggressor parties and their supporters,” while ships from other countries face no issues transiting after coordinating with Iranian authorities.

The new measures include mandatory notification procedures due to the security situation, with the IRGC Navy directing vessels in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman to report any “suspicious activity” via maritime channel 16, a standard international hailing frequency used for safety and navigation.

The enforcement of these controls comes against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military offensive that included the assassination of then-Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and multiple senior commanders.

In response, Iran has conducted waves of retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US interests across West Asia and Israeli positions in the occupied territories.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir