The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Naval Force has warned that vessels seeking to sail through the Strait of Hormuz must obtain Iran's approval, or risk becoming targets of Iranian attacks.
Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri stated that two ships which ignored Iran's warnings were targeted in the Strait on Wednesday.
Iran has intensified its restrictions on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes, with Iranian state media claiming that vessels not serving the interests of the United States and Israel can sail through safely.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway, with over 20 million barrels of crude oil passing through daily, representing a fifth of global oil consumption and nearly a quarter of all seaborne oil trade.
In response to the restricted fuel supplies, the United States Department of Energy has announced its plan to offload 172 million barrels from the strategic petroleum reserve, with the distribution process expected to take approximately 120 days.
Global oil prices have climbed steadily since the US and Israeli forces initiated air strikes against Iran, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) announcing the release of 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to address supply disruptions.
