The crackdown comes as Iran's military warns that ships sailing outside Tehran's designated routes are not safe. Armed Forces spokesman Shekarchi stated that U.S. interference in the strait would be met with a military response, while President Masoud Pezeshkian characterized the closure of the passage as a natural response to U.S. sanctions. Pezeshkian noted that the waterway will remain open for trade only if negotiations resolve the dispute.
