Tehran [Iran], May 31 (ANI): Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday said that 28 ships, including oil tankers, container vessels, and other commercial ships, passed through the Strait
of Hormuz in the last 24 hours under the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy. According to a statement carried by Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the vessels were allowed to transit after obtaining permission from the IRGC. The statement issued by the IRGC Navy’s Public Relations Office highlighted that the Persian Gulf is a strategic waterway belonging to Muslim countries in the region and attributed recent insecurity to the “aggression and evils of the American terrorist army”. “Over the past 24 hours, 28 ships, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining permission with the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy,” the statement read. “The Persian Gulf is a water area belonging to the Muslim countries of the region, and the aggression and evils of the American terrorist army are the most important reason for its insecurity these days,” it added The IRGC added that it is conducting “intelligent control” of the Strait of Hormuz continuously, with firmness and authority, to ensure safe passage of commercial vessels. On Saturday, the IRGC reported that 20 commercial vessels passed through the strait after securing permission and coordinating with the force. In a separate statement, the IRGC Navy’s Public Relations Office confirmed that the 20 ships transited the strategic waterway over the past day with the force’s coordination. According to Iranian state media Press TV, the passage of these vessels is managed by Iran’s newly introduced system to manage maritime traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran announced the launch of a new regulatory body earlier this month, aimed at managing and monitoring operations related to the strategically important waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. The top security establishment of the Islamic Republic, the Supreme National Security Council, reposted a post on X where it stated that the official X account of the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority” (PGSA) is now operational. The announcement signalled the formal establishment of a dedicated body overseeing developments and operations linked to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes for global oil and energy shipments. Following this, the US imposed sanctions on the PGSA, accusing Tehran of using the body to “extort” commercial vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz and “funnelling” revenue to the IRGC. The move, announced by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), adds the PGSA to the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list as part of the US President Trump’s administration’s intensified “Economic Fury” campaign aimed at increasing pressure on Iran amid ongoing regional tensions. (ANI)
