IRGC formally declares Strait of Hormuz under full IRGC Navy control — aggressors' tankers to be targeted

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps issued a formal declaration on Saturday asserting that the Strait of Hormuz was under the full control of its Navy, and that 'the passage of oil tankers and commercial ships belonging to aggressors and their allies through the Strait' would be targeted, the New York Times reported. The IRGC statement formalizes what had been an effective de facto blockade into an explicit policy framework. The key distinction is the qualifier 'belonging to aggressors and their allies' — this language suggests Iran is implementing discriminatory passage control rather than a total blockade. Neutral or friendly nations' vessels may pass (as India's tankers did on Saturday); US and Israeli-allied nations' commercial vessels face interdiction risk. The strategic implications are significant. A selective blockade is politically more defensible than a total closure — it allows Iran to maintain relationships with China, India, Russia, and other major powers while maximizing economic pressure on the US-allied coalition. It also creates powerful incentives for US allies to distance themselves from Washington's position on the conflict to secure their own energy supplies. The IRGC declaration comes in direct response to Trump's threat to 'wipe out' Kharg Island oil infrastructure if Hormuz passage isn't restored. Rather than backing down, the IRGC is doubling down on the blockade — daring the US to cross the oil infrastructure threshold that Iran has said will trigger a 'pile of ash' response against US regional military assets.