DUBAI/LONDON, June 26 - Iran publicly reasserted its right to exercise control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and cautioned Gulf nations against supporting the United States, following an attack on a cargo vessel near Omani waters that exposed weaknesses in a preliminary ceasefire framework.
The Iranian response came after a joint statement by the U.S. and six Gulf states accused Tehran of seeking to levy tolls on vessels transiting the strait and described such moves as unacceptable. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, wrote on X that "Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran’s role as a coastal state into account."
Oil prices fell further on Friday amid differing accounts of last week’s interim arrangement between Iran and the United States and a slowdown in traffic through the strait - a choke-point through which around one fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically moves.
Shipping data showed that Saudi Aramco had resumed crude loadings at its Ras Tanura terminal on Friday, the world’s largest oil port, ending a pause of nearly four months. The resumption came as some vessels were observed loading at the facility, including two Very Large Crude Carriers controlled by Saudi Arabia’s Bahri, while another VLCC waited nearby. Each VLCC can carry approximately 2 million barrels of crude. Ras Tanura is located on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast on the Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz, and previously exported in excess of 5 million barrels per day before the conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, concluding a regional tour intended to reassure unsettled Gulf partners about the interim deal, told reporters on Thursday that any Iranian attempt to threaten or block ships in the strait would create a direct problem for the United States.
In their joint communiqué, the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council urged "free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting tolls or attempts to assert control. They said a durable peace would need to tackle Iran’s ballistic missiles, drone capabilities and its support for proxy militias.
Iran’s reaction and claims
The Iranian foreign ministry countered on Friday by accusing the U.S. military presence in the Gulf of being the main source of regional instability and division. Tehran stated that governance of the strait should fall under the joint oversight of Iran and Oman, consistent with provisions in the interim accord. The ministry warned against the persistence of what it called "hostile and interventionist policies" in the region.
Tehran says it established effective control over the waterway after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered the broader war, a shift that has disrupted oil exports and unsettled global energy markets along with the wider economy.
Incident near Oman
Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine reported that its Singapore-flagged vessel Ever Lovely was struck on Thursday by an "unknown object" close to Oman while travelling on a route recommended by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, UKMTO. No injuries were reported and the ship subsequently continued its voyage out of the strait.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the Ever Lovely. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority - an organization Tehran created to process transit requests for ships passing through the strait - said passage via unauthorized routes would be "the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander." There was no immediate comment from the U.S. government in response to Iran’s statement.
Earlier in the month, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if Iran failed to uphold the interim deal, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. would likely return to bombing Iranian targets.
Outstanding issues and wider implications
The interim ceasefire framework has left several contentious issues unresolved. Parties remain at odds over financial inducements for Iran, the scope and mechanics of nuclear inspections, and how to account for Israel’s simultaneous military campaign in Lebanon. The agreement established a 60-day negotiating period to address these and other complex matters, including Iran’s nuclear program.
Within the United States, the conflict has become a significant political factor ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress, increasing domestic pressure around foreign policy outcomes.
The International Maritime Organization temporarily suspended its program to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz following the incident near Oman. Earlier in the week the IMO and Oman had announced a new southern route through the strait to evacuate hundreds of ships stranded by the war, a move that provoked anger in Tehran.
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday that three South Korean ships were scheduled to leave the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after the country’s Oceans Ministry reported that eight additional South Korean vessels had already exited the area.
The incident near Oman and the broader disagreement over control of the strait underline how fragile the interim arrangement remains. With significant volumes of crude and LNG normally moving through the corridor, decisions about navigation, escorting and maritime control continue to carry direct consequences for energy markets, shipping operators and regional security calculations.