Iran Issues Warning Over New Hormuz Transit Route

Updated: 3:49 AM PKT — June 26, 2026

In a significant development in the Strait of Hormuz, available reports on Thursday indicate that Iran has ordered four oil tankers to turn back. This action follows earlier warnings from Iran’s military against the use of unrecognised transit routes in the strategic waterway.

Pakistan News will update this story as more confirmed details become available.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval force has issued a stern warning regarding maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the use of any new sea route without coordination and approval from Tehran is unacceptable. The force clarified that all vessels must use routes designated by Iran and make contact on a specified military communication channel.

The warning follows advice from a maritime group for ships to use an alternative southern route near Omani waters, which was described as being free of mines. This development comes a week after a reported agreement between the US and Iran to reopen the strait for commercial traffic.

According to maritime tracking data, traffic through the strait has seen a slight increase, with over 90 vessels passing through recently. However, this number remains below the pre-conflict average of more than 100 ships per day. Available reports indicate that mariners are proceeding with caution, using a combination of routes in accordance with Iranian, Omani, and international laws rather than fully resuming previous patterns.