TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) announced Sunday, April 6, they are completing operational preparations to enforce new operating conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the vital waterway will “never return to its former status, especially for the US and Israel.”
The statement, posted on X by the Guards’ naval forces, signals Tehran’s intention to institutionalise restrictive maritime governance over the strait that has been effectively closed since war with the United States and Israel began on February 28.
“New Persian Gulf Order”
“The IRGC naval force is completing operational preparations for the Iranian authorities’ declared plan for the new Persian Gulf order,” the post stated.
The declaration comes after US President Donald Trump renewed threats to strike Iranian power plants and bridges if the shipping route—handling roughly 20pc of global oil and gas—remains closed.
Iran has permitted only limited traffic through the strait since hostilities commenced, disrupting energy flows with immediate ripple effects across international markets and economies dependent on Gulf hydrocarbons.
Diplomatic Parallel Track
Oman’s state news agency reported Sunday that Iran and Oman held talks on easing passage through the strait, suggesting simultaneous diplomatic and military tracks. Muscat has historically served as a discreet channel between Tehran and Western capitals.
The juxtaposition of IRGC operational readiness with Omani mediation highlights the dual governance of the strait: military enforcement versus international law of the sea principles guaranteeing freedom of navigation.
Toll Proposals
Iranian lawmakers have recently proposed imposing tolls and taxes on vessels transiting the waterway—a mechanism that would transform the strait from international passage to regulated, revenue-generating territory under Tehran’s control.
Such measures would test the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provisions on transit passage through international straits, potentially triggering legal challenges and naval enforcement responses.
Global Energy Security
The Hormuz closure has already forced supply chain rerouting, insurance cost surges, and price volatility affecting import-dependent economies worldwide. The IRGC’s “new conditions” threat suggests permanent structural change to global energy logistics rather than temporary wartime disruption.
The confrontation tests the efficacy of international maritime governance frameworks against unilateral state control of critical chokepoints.