IRAN MOVES TO SEAL UNAUTHORISED HORMUZ PASSAGES AS MARITIME TENSIONS DEEPEN

October 7, 2026

Iran is preparing to close several passages in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz that Tehran considers unauthorised, according to Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Naqdi said the passages were created by damaging or blasting through rocky sections of the waterway and have reportedly been used by small boats involved in oil smuggling. Iran now intends to shut these routes as it tightens its control over maritime movement through the strait.

The development comes amid continuing uncertainty over the reopening and management of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy corridor. Iran has maintained that vessels should use routes approved by its authorities, while alternative corridors have become a point of dispute during the wider regional confrontation.

The planned closure of the unauthorised passages could further restrict maritime movement and increase pressure on commercial operators already facing elevated security risks in the waterway.