IRGC Announces New Rules for Hormuz Strait; Iranian Tanker Defies US Blockade

Tehran: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the implementation of new regulations along the country's approximately 2,000-kilometre Gulf coastline and in the Strait of Hormuz, acting on the directive of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The IRGC Navy said the Strait of Hormuz would be transformed into a source of livelihood and strength for the Iranian people, with security and prosperity in the region guaranteed. Further details of the new rules have not been disclosed.

Iran had imposed restrictions on shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the US-Israel military campaign that began on February 28. Although a ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, the two sides have not reached a comprehensive agreement. Trump subsequently extended the ceasefire unilaterally at Pakistan's request, but the US Navy imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping through the waterway from April 13.

In a significant development that underscores the limits of the blockade, the Iranian supertanker 'Huge' has arrived in the Asia-Pacific region carrying 1.9 million barrels of crude oil, having successfully evaded the American naval cordon, according to Tanker Trackers. Iran's official count now stands at 52 Iranian vessels that have breached the US blockade.

The announcements signal Iran's determination to assert control over its own coastal waters and maintain oil export channels despite the ongoing American pressure campaign.