Iran's IRGC Orders Tanker to Turn Back in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO Says
Vessel complied after being warned it would be targeted near Oman, British maritime agency reports
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File photo: Strait of Hormuz seen from space during NASA's STS-4 mission, 1982. Photo: NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A tanker inbound through the Strait of Hormuz was ordered by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to turn back or risk being targeted, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday, underscoring Tehran's continued squeeze on Gulf shipping.
What UKMTO reported
UKMTO said a tanker transiting the strait inbound was hailed by the IRGC and instructed to turn back or the vessel would be targeted. The master of the tanker confirmed that the ship complied with the instruction, the British maritime agency said.
The incident occurred 11 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, according to UKMTO and a Reuters report carried by regional outlets. Authorities were investigating, and UKMTO advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.
CBS News, citing the same UKMTO advisory, noted that the ship was entering the strait near Oman's coastline on a route the United States has repeatedly described as safe and open.
Hormuz remains the core dispute
Hormuz, through which about one fifth of the world's oil and gas moved before the war, is still the main sticking point in talks between Iran and the United States.
Iran has sought to control traffic through the waterway since the conflict began, striking or threatening vessels that try to pass without its authorisation. Washington has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports and has struck vessels it accuses of violating that measure.
Iranian officials say the strait will stay closed until the United States meets Tehran's conditions, including an end to sanctions and disruptions to Iranian commercial shipping. President Donald Trump has rejected those conditions while leaving the door open to further talks or renewed military operations.
The United States has not announced strikes against Iran since September 1, according to CBS News, even as tanker incidents continue.
Wider shipping risks
On Sunday, UKMTO separately reported a possible attack on another tanker in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, saying multiple explosions detonated close to a vessel south of Al-Mukha, Yemen. The crew were reported safe.
The latest Hormuz hail comes as Middle East oil exports excluding Iran have climbed back above pre-war levels via pipelines and other routes, according to maritime tracker Kpler, and as fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Iran-aligned Houthis intensifies around Bab el-Mandeb.
Monday's episode shows that even vessels using the Omani-side inbound lane can still be forced to abort transit under IRGC instructions, keeping war-risk pressure on Gulf energy flows.
