Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday that two vessels had stopped in the Strait of Hormuz.
Some analysts say the announcement was intended to underscore Iran's continued control over the strait.
According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency and Yonhap, the IRGC claimed that "four vessels instigated and supported by American terrorists attempted to pass through the strait via an unsafe route with their navigation devices turned off, ignoring warnings from the IRGC Navy's strait control station."
Two of the ships suffered accidents and stopped in place, while the other two abandoned their passage, the IRGC said.
"Control of the Strait of Hormuz rests entirely with our forces, and the only safe route has already been designated and announced," the IRGC said. "Not a single drop of oil, gas or chemical fertilizer can pass through the strait without prior consultation or authorization."
The IRGC added that "vessels deceived by the United States into entering via an unsafe route will inevitably encounter accidents."
mss@heraldcorp.com
