DUBAI/LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) – Tehran reasserted its right on Friday to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against siding with the U.S., a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war.
Iran was responding to what it called an “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative” joint statement by the United States and six Gulf states that rejected Iran’s insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait. “Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran’s role as a coastal state into account,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X. Underlining the risks facing shipping, Iranian state TV said three foreign tankers attempting what it called an “unauthorised passage” of the strait were turned back after a warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It gave no further details. Asked about the matter, a U.S. official said: “We are aware of these reports and looking into them. President (Donald) Trump has been clear that Iran cannot subvert the free flow of traffic in the Strait.”Oil prices dropped by more than 3% on Friday, on course for steep weekly losses despite the conflicting interpretations of last week’s interim deal between Iran and the U.S. and a slowdown in traffic through the strait, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically passes. Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, issued a warning to Washington’s Gulf allies.
“The stability of the Persian Gulf Arab states is indebted to Iran’s century-long management of the Strait of Hormuz… their strategic survival is at the mercy of Tehran’s tolerance,” Velayati said on X. Two U.S. officials told Reuters Iran had fired on the ship. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority — established by Tehran to manage requests for ships to travel through the strait — said passage through unauthorized routes would be “the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander”. Disagreements also persist over other elements of the framework ceasefire deal, including over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections and Israel’s parallel war in Lebanon. The deal set up 60 days of talks to tackle thornier issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.