IRGC Navy strikes Togo-flagged tanker after illegal attempt to transit Strait of Hormuz

In a statement issued on Thursday night, Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, commander of the IRGC Navy, said the tanker sought to cross the strategic waterway last night “at the instigation and through the deception of the child-killing US military.”

“The brave warriors of Islam and the valiant sailors of the IRGC Navy continue to powerfully maintain control of the vital waterway of the Strait of Hormuz and do not allow any aggressor to pass through it,” the statement read.

The IRGC Navy added that the Trend “was struck and stopped after a fire broke out on it.”

The force once again warned that illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will have no outcome other than the destruction of the offending vessel.”

The statement opened “In the name of God, the Subduer of the Tyrants” and addressed “the great and honorable people of Islamic Iran,” noting that their “epic presence in the field” has now passed its 200th consecutive night. That nationwide presence, the commander said, continues to strengthen the nation's armed forces as they safeguard Iran’s maritime rights.

Iran has for months enforced a new order in the Strait of Hormuz following the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression that began in late February.

Under that arrangement, commercial vessels may transit only along routes designated by the Islamic Republic and only after obtaining authorization and coordinating with the IRGC Navy. Traffic outside those routes is prohibited. The IRGC has repeatedly described any alternative corridor announced without coordination with Tehran as unacceptable and dangerous.

The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have been kept free of the presence of US forces and other enemies through the committed work of Iranian sailors and the support of the Iranian nation, Rear Admiral Azmaei has emphasized in recent days. He has stressed that the waterway remains under Iranian intelligence surveillance and smart control, and that any hostile or unauthorized movement will be targeted.

The latest incident fits a consistent pattern. Vessels that ignore IRGC warnings, follow US military instructions, or attempt to use undeclared and unsafe routes have been turned back, struck, or otherwise stopped.

The IRGC Navy has made clear that so-called guidance from the US Central Command and the American Navy will not go unanswered and that shipping companies and insurers should disregard such directives.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a vital energy artery. Iran has consistently maintained that it never sought the waterway’s closure in principle, but that security, coordination, and respect for the Islamic Republic’s sovereign rights are non-negotiable after months of aggression, blockade, and attempts to dictate terms from outside the region.

Safe passage is available to vessels that comply with Iranian regulations. Those that do not, the IRGC Navy says, face the consequences already demonstrated in the case of the Trend.