The move follows statements from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has lost control of the waterway and that oil flows have returned to nearly prewar levels. Tehran continues to insist that the Strait of Hormuz will remain formally closed until Washington satisfies seven conditions based on the Islamabad memorandum. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf added that Iran will continue both fighting and negotiating while rejecting one-sided demands.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Iran Blocks Illegal Shipping Routes in Strait of Hormuz
Commodities14 days ago
The Iranian military will close clandestine gaps used by oil smugglers to bypass security controls in the Persian Gulf. General Mohammad Reza Naqdi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that forces will seal paths created by violators who blasted through rocky areas to move oil via small vessels to tankers. Naqdi asserted the IRGC maintains full control over the strategic waterway despite these smuggling activities, which he described as small in volume.
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