The IRGC warned Thursday that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must coordinate via Channel 16 on routes Iran designates, calling uncoordinated passage "dangerous and prohibited" and threatening enforcement measures against violators. The statement escalates Tehran's months-long campaign to assert control over the strategic waterway.
The IRGC issued a fresh warning Thursday morning, mandating that all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz coordinate via Channel 16 on routes Iran designates, or face enforcement measures. This escalation, first published at 04:48 Jerusalem, was followed within minutes by multiple iterations: an initial rejection of uncoordinated transit, a requirement for IRGC-approved routes, and the specific Channel 16 mandate. A later bulletin at 10:16 Jerusalem reported Iran's opposition to a newly declared non-aligned shipping lane.
As The Zioneer reported, the thread began Thursday at 04:48 Jerusalem with the IRGC warning that uncoordinated transit is unacceptable and dangerous, based on a single Israeli source (N12's Asaf Rozentzweig). The same source reported three further versions within the hour — tightening from "unacceptable" to "forbidden" on specific routes, and finally the Channel 16 mandate. By 10:16, an anonymous Iranian source was cited opposing the non-aligned lane, marking the first attribution to an Iranian voice, though still not independently corroborated.
The new threat deepens a pattern The Zioneer has tracked since early June: on Jun 8, an IRGC Navy commander threatened to attack hostile warships; on Jun 12, Iran's chief of staff claimed full control of the strait; on Jun 19, mandatory Iranian insurance was reported; and on Jun 20, the IRGC Navy issued a 'severe danger' warning to all vessels. The U.S. Navy, as reported Jun 18, broadcast a Persian-language warning to IRGC vessels near the strait. These measures remain attributed to single channels or official statements, with no independent on-record confirmation.
It remains unclear which specific vessels or shipping lane the IRGC's latest threat targets, whether the Channel 16 mandate has been communicated through diplomatic channels, and whether any enforcement has yet been attempted.
9 developments
- DevelopingIRGC Navy commander threatens to attack hostile warships in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongIran tightens Strait of Hormuz transit rules: mandatory insurance, threat of IRGC Navy sanctions
- DevelopingUS Navy warns IRGC vessels in Persian: 'halt or we attack' near Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingIRGC turns ships back in Strait of Hormuz, analyst suggests mine avoidance
Source and signal
- Internal intake