Iran To Block ‘Illegal Routes’ In Strait Of Hormuz, IRGC Adviser Says

Iran will soon close transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz that it considers illegal, an adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) told the semi-official Fars News Agency on Wednesday, October 7, referring to routes along Oman’s coast.

Mohammadreza Naqdi said the routes had been created by blasting and damaging rocky passages in the strategic waterway. He said they were being used by small boats to smuggle oil and transfer it to tankers.

According to him, the Strait of Hormuz was closed and under the full control of Iran’s armed forces, and would remain so until Iran’s demands were met.

Oil exports from the Gulf region have increased, although tanker attacks and logistical problems are still affecting shipments.

Kpler data showed that the seven-day average for crude exports from the region reached 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30. Export volumes were above pre-war levels on 14 days in September.

The figure includes Gulf oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. It also includes oil moved from terminals and through ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.

The IRGC has repeatedly denied that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are increasing because of help from the US Navy.

Another IRGC adviser, Majid Mirahmadi, said on Thursday that about 10 ships were crossing the Strait each day. Before the war began on February 28, the average was about 125 ships a day.

The war began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran and the United States have exchanged proposals in recent weeks on ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for global energy shipments.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal. He has also warned that military operations could increase after the midterm elections.

US Vice President JD Vance said the United States was still open to a deal but wanted Iran to make clear concessions on its nuclear programme.

Vance said the US was talking to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. However, he said it was unclear how much authority they had within Iran’s political system after the US-Israeli strikes killed Khamenei.

Trump said on Tuesday that his “biggest problem” was that no one knew who was running Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected that statement on Sunday. He said US officials knew who their Iranian counterparts were and understood how Iran’s decision-making system worked.

Vance told Reuters that he had spoken with field commanders to understand what was happening on the battlefield. He rejected concerns about shortages of critical ammunition.

He said Iranian forces could still attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz from time to time. But he said they were largely unable to stop energy exports from passing through the waterway.

Vance did not say whether he was leading the peace talks. He is often described as the White House’s top negotiator.

References: Reuters, telegraphindia