Iran Forces Trespassing US Tanker Back After Illegal Attempt at Crossing Strait of Hormuz: Report

Thursday, 28 May 2026 3:16 AM

File photo shows an Iranian serviceman manning a post on the country's coastline along the Persian Gulf.

A report says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Navy has forced an American tanker trying to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran's restrictions, to turn back.

Tasnim News Agency published the report on Thursday, citing an informed military source.

"Several hours earlier, an American oil tanker had attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after switching off its tracking system," the report said.

"However, following a swift and decisive response by the IRGC Navy, including warning fire directed towards the vessel, the tanker was forced to stop and retreat," it added.

In response, US forces fired at an open ground near the port city of Bandar Abbas, the source noted, adding that earlier reports about the sound of explosion heard in the area was related to that incident.

The remarks followed reports about sound of explosion ringing out from the direction of areas lying to the city's east.

Iran shut down the strait to enemies and their allies following the launch on February 28 of the United States' and the Israeli regime's latest bout of unprovoked aggression targeting the Islamic Republic.

It began exercising far stricter controls after Donald Trump announced an illegal blockade of Iranian vessels and ports in continuation of the aggression and in violation of the terms of a ceasefire the US president, himself, had declared earlier.

The IRGC's Navy has pledged to enforce Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei's "historic" directive concerning the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Through the directive, Ayatollah Khamenei has asserted that foreigners with "ominous" plots targeting the Persian Gulf have no place in the region "except at the bottom of its waters."

On May 20, the Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf defined the supervisory management zone of the waterway.

It has defined the management zone as "the line connecting Mount Mubarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, on the eastern side of the strait, extending to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates, on the western side of the strait."

So far, the IRGC's Navy has issued passage permits for scores of vessels for transit through the waterway in line with the Islamic Republic's instructions.