Iran sets alternative Strait of Hormuz routes, says IRGC will tighten control over southern waters

Iran has announced alternative routes for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of sea mines in the main navigation zone of the vital waterway. At the same time, state media reported that Tehran has introduced “new rules” for waters off its southern coast, signaling a move to tighten authority over key maritime corridors in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

A decree from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the force will exercise “control over nearly 2,000 km (1,243 miles) of Iran’s coastline” spanning the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, according to Press TV.

The IRGC described the measures as intended to make the waters “a source of pride and power for the dear people of Iran, and a source of security and prosperity for the region.” The announcement followed a directive attributed to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who warned that foreigners with “ominous” designs on the Persian Gulf had no place there “except at the bottom of its waters,” Press TV reported.

Earlier on Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei dismissed U.S.

military installations in West Asia as a “paper tiger,” saying in a post on X that “America’s paper tiger bases can’t even secure themselves, let alone the regional American-worshippers.” He also emphasized the Persian Gulf’s civilizational and strategic weight, calling it “a part of our identity and civilisation, a point of connection between nations, and a vital pathway for the global economy.” Iran’s maritime notice said: “All ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are hereby notified that in order to comply with the principles of maritime safety and to be protected from possible collisions with sea mines…

they should take alternative routes for traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” according to local media quoting the IRGC.

On Thursday, Khamenei predicted a future for the Persian Gulf without American influence and said foreign militaries would have no place there unless they were “in the depths of its waters.” State broadcaster IRIB carried a Persian Gulf Day message in which he argued regional states share a common fate and said distant powers should stop meddling, describing a “new order” shaped by regional shifts and Iran’s policies of resistance.

Against this backdrop, the article said that on April 13, the United States established a naval blockade against Iran after talks in Islamabad failed to resolve the conflict.

A senior Iranian military official, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, said on Saturday that “a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely,” according to Fars news agency, adding that “evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements.” His remarks came hours after Trump said he was “not satisfied” with Tehran’s latest peace proposal.

Tehran’s moves were framed as maritime safety measures and as part of a broader assertion of authority over southern waters. Khamenei’s messages cast the Persian Gulf as central to regional identity and economic lifelines, and urged a recalibration of outside involvement, which he characterized as giving way to a “new order.”