Revolutionary Guards say four ships were turned back from the southern Hormuz route in 24 hours

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday, 25 July 2026, that its forces had stopped four ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the previous 24 hours. According to the announcement, the four vessels had sought to pass through the southern area of the strait along a route the Guards describe as "illegal and unsafe," and altered course after warning shots were fired by the IRGC Navy.

The southern Hormuz route, which runs close to the Omani coast, has been the scene of several attacks on tankers in recent weeks. Tehran wants vessels to use designated routes within Iranian waters and, later, to pay for safe passage, a mechanism that departs from decades of practice in the waterway. Last week the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that any breach of these protocols would meet an "immediate and forceful response."

The new figure shows the transit regime through Hormuz remains locked. Roughly one fifth of the world's oil passes through the strait in normal conditions, and tanker crossings had fallen on Thursday to their lowest level since 7 May. Every additional day of this situation keeps the risk premium in oil prices alive, along with pressure on Iran's currency market and the Tehran bourse.