President Donald Trump said Friday the Strait of Hormuz was open, just hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly forced three foreign oil tankers to turn around near the strategic waterway.
According to Al Jazeera, citing Iranian state media, the IRGC intercepted the vessels after they attempted to cross the southern tip of the Strait of Hormuz without coordinating with Iranian authorities. Turkish state-affiliated broadcaster Anadolu, citing Iran’s state-run IRIB, also reported the incident.
The IRGC warned that attempting to cross the strait without Tehran’s permission was “illegal, unacceptable and highly dangerous,” according to Anadolu. The three tankers then turned back toward the Persian Gulf.
The reported confrontation came as Trump told U.S. farmers during a Friday speech that the Strait of Hormuz was open, signaling confidence that the critical global shipping lane remains accessible despite heightened tensions with Iran.
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets.
Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday it eliminated seven Hezbollah terrorists who were allegedly transferring weapons near the security zone in southern Lebanon, further straining the regional ceasefire.
According to the IDF, the operatives were loading the weapons into a structure in the El Manzala area that Hezbollah was using as a staging ground for attacks against IDF soldiers.
“The IDF will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm Israeli civilians or IDF soldiers, and will continue to operate to remove threats,” an IDF spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.
