Iran says six ships attempted 'illegal, unsafe' passage through Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI — Iran said six vessels attempted to pass through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz early Monday after switching off their navigation and positioning systems, state broadcaster IRIB reported.The vessels tried to cross the southern route of the strategic waterway “illegally and unsafely,” a well-informed source told IRIB.The source claimed the ships were attempting to “provoke” US forces in the area.One of the vessels was involved in an unspecified incident, while the other five were redirected to the Arabian Gulf under Iranian control, according to the report.No details were provided about the ships, their flags, crews or the nature of the incident.The source said the designated shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz had been clearly defined and warned that other routes were dangerous and impassable.The US military did not immediately comment on Iran’s account.Iran has also said it has been redirecting multiple ships each day to keep the strait closed as its armed forces emphasised that they will not bow to pressure. On Sunday, Iranian media reports said a vessel blew up after hitting a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said that as of Saturday, soldiers had redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade that has been in place since mid-July, disabled two that did not comply and boarded two “to ensure total compliance”.The US military also showed footage of heavily armed soldiers rappelling down from a helicopter onto the deck of the Charminar, an Iran-linked oil tanker subject to US sanctions since last year for allegedly being part of the Shamkhani network.The US says Iranian oil magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani plays a central role in Iranian and Russian shadow fleet operations.