Iran has warned that it will take reciprocal measures if the United States continues its maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports, even as it outlined conditions for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei offered clarification on an earlier statement by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to news channel, Baghaei said that Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed along a pre-determined route by Iran. Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy detailed conditions for vessels seeking to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. It stated that all ships would require its permission to pass, with civilian vessels allowed only through designated Iranian routes, while military vessels remain barred from transit.

The announcement comes after Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who had earlier said on social media that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire was “completely open”. The strategic waterway had been obstructed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) following joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran on February 28.