IRGC Claims Control Over Strait of Hormuz as Shipping Collapses

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped as hostilities escalate between the United States and Iran. Maritime intelligence firm Kpler reported that daily transits dropped to eight vessels on July 17, far below the pre-war average of 100 ships per day before a U.S.-Israeli strike against Iran on February 28.

On July 19, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that two ships suffered accidents after attempting to navigate an unsafe route and ignoring warnings from the Hormuz Strait control base. The IRGC alleged that four vessels, acting with U.S. backing, had disabled their navigation equipment, though two of these ships ultimately withdrew.

Iran has declared full control over the waterway, asserting that no oil, gas, or chemical fertilizer tankers may pass without official coordination and authorization. This escalation follows a series of military actions since July 8, including U.S. airstrikes and a reinstatement of the blockade of Iranian ports. The United States Central Command stated these airstrikes were responses to Iranian actions against commercial vessels, while Iranian forces have countered by striking U.S. bases across the Middle East.