The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had "attacked and intercepted" three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported on July 29.
3 oil tankers violated, ignored our warnings and continued to move along an unsafe and illegal route, were attacked and forced to stop," the IRGC navy said. This force warned that any ships complying with "illegal intervention or orders" from the US in the strait "will inevitably be retaliated against".
This development occurred amid Iran and Oman exchanging proposals on managing sea transport activities in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television that Tehran had rejected Oman's proposal to divide the transshipment routes between the two countries equally. Instead, he said Iran proposed self-managing sea transport activities in its own strait, while Muscat would manage part rather than the entire opposite lane.
Oman proposed to us the establishment of a route in the Strait of Hormuz, with 50% within our territorial waters and 50% within Oman's territorial waters. The route for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz may include entering through our waters and leaving through Oman's territorial waters," he said.
Our proposal to Oman is that part of the transshipment route in the Strait of Hormuz is within our territorial waters, and part of the route passing through Oman's waters must also be under our control." Mr. Gharibabadi added that the strait will continue to be closed if Oman rejects this plan.
Earlier the same day, the US military announced that it had successfully intercepted a "sudden missile attack by Iranian ballistic missiles" targeting forces stationed in the Middle East. "At 5:45 pm on July 28, 7 am Eastern time, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards launched many ballistic missiles from its territory, in a surprise attack on US forces stationed in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were intercepted," the US Army Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
