Iran tells ships in Strait of Hormuz to turn back

Iran turned back at least four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they tried to use an evacuation corridor along Oman’s coast, according to reporting published June 25.

The Financial Times reported that the vessels were using a temporary route coordinated through the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, to help move ships away from the chokepoint. The report identified the tankers as Blue Star I, SG Pegasus, Azumasan and Omega Trader.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said routes that were not approved by Tehran were unacceptable.

Route dispute in a critical waterway

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes and a major route for oil exports. Any interruption there can quickly affect tanker traffic, cargo movement and broader maritime security across the Gulf.

Reporting from The Guardian said the temporary evacuation plan had been backed by Oman and the IMO and included two routes, one of them through Omani waters. The Guardian said the IRGC rejected the plan as unacceptable and dangerous, and insisted that transit needed to be coordinated with Iranian forces.

The Financial Times said Iran turned back at least four tankers that were attempting to use the corridor. It was not immediately clear from the reporting whether the ships physically reversed course after entering the route or were warned off before continuing.

Wider stakes and unanswered questions

Axios reported that the UN-coordinated evacuation effort for stranded sailors was paused after an apparent attack near Oman and Iran’s objections to the routing plan. Axios said the effort involved about 11,000 stranded sailors and roughly 600 immobilized ships.

That reporting also left open whether the damaged ship near Oman was part of the same evacuation effort or a separate incident. A New York Post report said a vessel near the Omani coast had bridge damage, but no casualties were reported.

The immediate questions are whether the IMO or Oman will issue a formal statement on the corridor, whether more vessels will be turned back or redirected, and whether the reported attack or any naval response will further affect access through the strait.

For now, the episode marks a direct challenge by Iran to a temporary shipping arrangement in one of the world’s most sensitive waterways.