Iran’s foreign minister has said ships entering the Strait of Hormuz may pass through it but must cooperate with the Iranian navy, as reports surfaced that a vessel had been seized near the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah and taken toward Iranian waters.
The supplied Guardian report quotes Abbas Araghchi as saying the strait is open to commercial shipping, but that vessels must cooperate with Iranian naval forces. He made the remarks while in India for a Brics meeting, where he also argued that Iran was “invincible” and said regional instability was a lose-lose proposition for all sides.
The comments came amid a tense and highly unusual shipping situation. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a docked ship was seized by “unauthorised personnel” while anchored near Fujairah, close to the southern entrance to the strait. The report says the ship was later taken toward Iranian waters, although the packet does not identify the vessel or confirm who carried out the seizure.
That uncertainty matters because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints. The report says Iran has largely closed the strait since the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign and that thousands of ships remain stranded. In that environment, any seizure or rule change around passage can quickly escalate into a wider diplomatic and commercial confrontation.
Araghchi’s statement is therefore both a justification and a warning. By saying commercial ships may enter the strait only if they cooperate with Iranian forces, he is asserting a new de facto rule over traffic in a waterway that carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil and gas. The report says Iran has also reached a deal with China that has allowed some oil tankers bound for China to pass, suggesting that shipping access may now depend on political alignment as much as maritime routine.
The article also notes that a new UN Security Council resolution is being discussed, with more than 110 nations co-sponsoring a draft condemning the blockade. The resolution seeks to press Iran to stop attacks on shipping, remove mines, disclose mine locations and cooperate on a humanitarian corridor, though Russia regards it as unbalanced because it does not condemn the original US-Israeli strikes.
The packet does not establish the full legal basis for Iran’s claimed authority over passage, nor does it give independent confirmation of the ship’s identity or status. But it does show that Tehran is publicly trying to redefine the terms of transit at a moment when shipping companies, Gulf states and global markets are all trying to understand the rules.
For carriers, the message is obvious: passage through Hormuz may still be possible, but it is no longer merely a matter of navigation. It now involves compliance, political risk and the possibility of direct intervention.
The report leaves open whether the seizure near Fujairah was part of a coordinated policy or an isolated incident. What is clear is that Iranian officials are using the moment to assert control over a waterway whose stability matters far beyond the Gulf. In practical terms, that means every ship entering the strait is now part of a much larger dispute over force, access and sovereignty.
