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Date: October 7, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Iran has warned that routes through the Strait of Hormuz that it considers illegal will soon be closed, adding to tensions surrounding one of the world's most important energy and shipping corridors as the conflict between Iran and the United States continues.
Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency on Wednesday that several routes near Oman's coast would be blocked. He described the routes as having been created by blasting and damaging rocky passages in the strategic waterway.
Naqdi said the routes were being used by small boats to transport oil to larger tankers. His comments challenge recent reports that crude exports from Gulf producers have recovered significantly despite the continuing conflict and restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed,” Naqdi said, asserting that Iran's armed forces have full control over the waterway and that the situation would continue until Tehran's demands are met. His characterization of the strait and the extent of Iranian control represents the Iranian government's position and was not independently established by Reuters.
The comments came as international energy markets remained highly sensitive to developments around the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for oil and other energy shipments from the Gulf, and any disruption can have consequences for global supplies, shipping costs and fuel prices.
Reuters reported Wednesday that a seven-day moving average of crude exports from the region stood at 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, according to provisional data from Kpler. Oil flows had exceeded pre-war levels on 14 days in September, although the figures include shipments using different routes and methods, including the Red Sea and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have disputed the idea that increased oil flows through the region demonstrate that the Strait of Hormuz is returning to normal. Another IRGC adviser, Majid Mirahmadi, said the average number of ships crossing the waterway had fallen sharply, from about 125 vessels a day before the war to around 10.
The conflicting assessments highlight the difficulty of determining the actual level of maritime traffic through the strait. Some vessels have continued moving through the region, while security concerns, attacks and logistical restrictions have made commercial shipping substantially more complicated.
The latest warning also comes days after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would not fully reopen until a series of conditions agreed in an interim understanding with the United States had been met. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on October 4 that Tehran's position was firm and that the waterway would not reopen until those conditions were satisfied.
The United States and Iran remain far apart on the terms for ending the conflict. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Reuters on October 6 that Iran must make a significant reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity if Washington is to agree to an end to the war. Vance said the United States was seeking concrete actions rather than assurances from Tehran.
Iran, meanwhile, has rejected Washington's demands as inconsistent with its own position. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that U.S. proposals concerning Iran's nuclear programme conflicted with Tehran's demands.
The dispute over Hormuz has already affected international energy markets. Brent crude was trading above $100 a barrel on Wednesday as investors assessed continued supply risks associated with the Middle East conflict and other disruptions. Reuters reported Brent at $101.33 a barrel at 1200 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $89.83.
Energy companies and governments have increasingly sought alternative routes and emergency measures because of the disruption. Reuters reported that oil executives are examining additional pipelines and export routes to reduce dependence on strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The prolonged disruption is also creating logistical problems even where oil is still being exported. Higher tanker rates, insurance costs and the need for complicated transfers between vessels have increased the cost of moving crude. Reuters reported that tanker rates for some Middle East-to-Asia routes have reached exceptionally high levels, adding to the pressure on global energy markets.
The economic consequences extend beyond crude oil. Higher energy and refining costs are putting pressure on diesel and other petroleum products. Shell said Wednesday that it expected its third-quarter refining margin to reach a record $42 per barrel, up sharply from $24 in the previous quarter, as the conflict tightened fuel markets.
The International Monetary Fund has also warned that the energy shock created by the Middle East conflict could weigh on global economic growth. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Wednesday that the combination of higher energy prices and other economic pressures could produce uneven effects across countries, with war-affected economies facing particularly significant risks.
For Iran, the Strait of Hormuz remains an important source of leverage in negotiations with Washington. Tehran has repeatedly linked the future of the waterway to its broader demands, while the United States has insisted on freedom of navigation and continued pressure over Iran's nuclear programme.
The latest warning from Naqdi does not by itself establish that all maritime traffic through the strait will stop. Rather, it signals that Iranian authorities intend to tighten restrictions on routes they consider unauthorized as negotiations and military tensions continue.
With the United States and Iran still divided over nuclear enrichment, sanctions, maritime access and the conditions for ending the conflict, developments around the Strait of Hormuz are likely to remain closely watched by governments, shipping companies and energy markets worldwide.