IRGC strikes 2 vessels defying warnings in Strait of Hormuz

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has conducted strikes on two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after they repeatedly ignored warnings. 

The vessels, identified as the Express Room, owned by the Zionist regime and sailing under a Liberian flag, and the container ship, Mayuree Naree, were both targeted by Iranian forces following their “illegal insistence” on transiting the strategic waterway without authorization on Wednesday.

Iran has declared that every vessel intending to pass must obtain permission.

Separately, the spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters delivered a clear message to Washington and its allies regarding energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

"We will not allow even a single liter of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz for the benefit of America and its friends," the spokesman said.

The spokesman further clarified the expanded scope of Iranian military operations. “Any vessel, itself or its oil cargo belonging to the United Stated, the Zionist regime, or their hostile partners, is a legitimate target for Iran’s Armed Forces.”

The Wednesday strikes follow the unprovoked The United States and Israel committed acts of aggression against Iran on February 28. They assassinated Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Since the war began, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, responsible for approximately 20 percent of global oil supplies transit, has plummeted from an average of 76 tankers daily to just a handful, with some days seeing zero crossings.

Oil prices have surged past $113 per barrel, reflecting growing fears of prolonged disruption.

The United States has threatened military action to reopen the waterway, but analysts are raising serious questions about Washington's capability to carry out the threat.

An Economist analysis on Tuesday warned that "escorting convoys of oil tankers with warships may give Iran juicy American targets."

Iranian officials maintain that their actions are legitimate defensive measures in response to unprovoked aggression.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has blamed the United States for disruptions in the Strait, stating that "the insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf are a result of the aggressive and destabilizing actions of the US.”

Military experts note that Iran possesses one of the region's most advanced anti-ship missile arsenals, including the Abu Mahdi cruise missile with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, the Nasir short-range missile, and ballistic missiles adapted for naval targeting such as the Zulfaqar and Qiam.

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