Iran warns ships against using unapproved routes in Strait of Hormuz

Military command issues threat a day after Qatari mediators hailed ‘positive progress’ in indirect US-Iranian talks.Iran’s military command has threatened ships that attempt to cross the Strait of Hormuz using unapproved routes with a “forceful response,” casting new doubt over trade flows in the critical conduit for global energy supplies.Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued the threat on Thursday, a day after Qatari mediators hailed indirect negotiations between US and Iranian officials as making “positive progress” towards a peace deal.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Portugal fans gather ahead of Ronaldo-Modric clashlist 2 of 4Will the end of TPS for Haitians mean a caregiving crisis in US?list 3 of 4Trump administration indicts Olympic athlete for Reflecting Pool vandalismlist 4 of 4Relief efforts shift as Venezuela quake survivors seek aidend of list“Any failure to comply with and depart from the designated route or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, and will endanger the security of the offending vessels,” the military command said in a statement carried by the country’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.While Tehran did not specify what prompted the warning, it came after US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday said it had presided over a security dialogue in Bahrain during which regional leaders expressed their commitment to the “free flow of commerce” in the strait.Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi hit out at CENTCOM’s statement on Thursday, saying the forum “cannot establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf”.“The region’s security will be ensured through the end of interventions and the US withdrawal from the area, respect for countries’ sovereignty, and acceptance of new geopolitical realities – not under the military umbrella of America,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.