BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval forces stopped four vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during the past 24 hours after firing warning shots, according to Iranian state television.
The report said the vessels were attempting to transit through the southern corridor of the strategic waterway, a route that the IRGC described as an "unsafe passage."
Iranian state media reported that the ships were intercepted after they failed to comply with the IRGC's navigation instructions, prompting naval forces to fire warning shots before stopping the vessels.
The IRGC has reiterated that ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz using what it describes as "unapproved" routes could face a "forceful response."
The latest warning comes amid heightened regional tensions and renewed concerns over maritime security in one of the world's most strategically important shipping lanes.
The Strait of Hormuz handles a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports, making any disruption to navigation closely watched by international energy markets and the global shipping industry.
