Iran Warns of ‘Overwhelming Response’ if US Intervenes in Strait of Hormuz

Hopes for Strait of Hormuz Traffic Recovery Fade

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping lane, are escalating again as fighting between the US and Iran resumes. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, warned Washington against intervening in shipping through the strait.

The IRGC Navy said in a statement on July 9 that “foreign forces have no place in this land and in the Strait of Hormuz,” according to Iran’s state news agency. Any US involvement in the strait’s shipping lanes would disrupt what it described as a phased normalization of maritime traffic.

It also said any attempt by the US to dictate shipping routes would trigger an overwhelming response. Such a move would endanger the interests of countries that use the Strait of Hormuz, it said.

Iran said traffic through the strait had recovered to about 50% of prewar levels. It added that transit by ships authorized to use routes designated by Iran was also increasing.

Iran temporarily allowed free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days after signing a memorandum of understanding with the US last month to end the war. Vessel traffic through the strait had gradually risen afterward.

But renewed fighting between the two countries has stalled that recovery. As military tensions intensify, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been paralyzed, the report said.

Oh Se-seong, Hankyung.com reporter sesung@hankyung.com