Iran Formalises Strait of Hormuz Control as US-Iran Military Standoff Deepens
Iran has moved to formalise its sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz, with its parliament working on legislation to institutionalise oversight of the waterway, including the right to impose transit fees on vessels.
The United States has been deploying additional combat forces to the region, signalling readiness to contest Iran's attempt to restrict freedom of navigation.
Since the onset of US-Israeli strikes on Iran beginning late February 2026, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) has effectively halted or heavily disrupted shipping through the strait, with tanker traffic dropping by approximately 70% at its worst.
Iran has articulated its conditions for ending hostilities — these include formal recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations, and security guarantees against future attacks.
The US rejected Iran's preconditions, while Iran denied that back-channel negotiations cited by the US side had actually occurred.
Iran has selectively allowed passage for vessels from non-Western aligned countries, notably continuing oil sales in yuan, while blocking ships from the US, Israel, and their allies.
Strait of Hormuz: The World's Most Critical Energy Chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway located between Iran to the north and Oman and the UAE to the south, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest, it is approximately 21 nautical miles wide, with shipping lanes in each direction only about 2 miles wide. It is the single most important maritime chokepoint for global energy trade.
Iran's move to formally legislate sovereign control and levy transit fees directly challenges the international legal consensus on freedom of navigation through international straits, threatening the global oil supply chain.
Transit Passage Rights Under UNCLOS
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982 and entering into force in 1994, establishes the legal framework governing international straits. Articles 37–44 enshrine the right of "transit passage" through straits used for international navigation — a right that cannot be suspended by the bordering state.
Iran's attempt to formalise fees and control over the strait is fundamentally at odds with the UNCLOS transit-passage regime, making this a landmark test of international maritime law and customary norms.
IRGC Navy: Iran's Asymmetric Maritime Force
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a multi-service force established in May 1979 following the Iranian Revolution, answerable directly to the Supreme Leader rather than the conventional military chain of command. Its Navy branch, the IRGC Navy (IRGCN), is operationally distinct from Iran's regular navy (Artesh) and focuses specifically on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC Navy is the instrument through which Iran has enforced its Hormuz strategy — seizing, warning off, and attacking vessels — making its command structure and doctrine central to understanding the current crisis.
- 20 million barrels per day: average oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024.
- ~70%: drop in tanker traffic through the strait at the peak of disruptions in March 2026.
- 21 confirmed attacks on merchant vessels by Iran as of mid-March 2026.
- Iran's five conditions for ceasefire include recognition of Hormuz sovereignty, war reparations, and security guarantees.
- UNCLOS transit-passage (Articles 37–44) prohibits suspension of innocent passage through international straits.
- The IRGC was established in May 1979 and designated a terrorist organisation by the US in 2019.
- India's crude oil imports from Gulf countries transiting Hormuz: approximately 50% of total imports.