Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya command says ships taking compensation from frozen Iranian assets will be barred from the Strait of Hormuz

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the command that coordinates Iran's armed forces, said on Tuesday 28 July 2026 that vessels belonging to any country or company accepting compensation from Iran's frozen assets would not be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The position was set out by a spokesman for the headquarters and carried by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.

The spokesman rejected US President Donald Trump's statement that ships damaged in the Persian Gulf would be compensated using Iran's frozen funds. He said Iran believes the vessels were damaged because of insecurity created by the US military presence and the use of what he described as an illegal and unsafe shipping route south of the Strait of Hormuz. He called the move an aggressive and illegal measure aimed at fuelling instability in the region.

Iran tightened its restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz from 28 February 2026, when it barred safe passage for vessels belonging to or affiliated with the United States and Israel following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.