Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, on 5 July issued a sharp warning that the Strait of Hormuz is not a “theater” for transregional powers to display military force, dismissing a joint statement by outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron as an overreach into waters Tehran considers its own sovereign responsibility.

Iran's Warning and Its Basis

Writing on social media platform X, Gharibabadi stated: “Iran, as the responsible authority and guarantor of security in the strait, warns against any military movement in the sensitive waterway.” He further asserted that security in the strait is the sole responsibility of Iran and Oman, rejecting any role for external actors.

This comes amid a joint declaration by Starmer and Macron, who described the strait as a “vital artery” for the global economy and called for restoring “safe transit for ships of all nations” — framing it as “a matter of global concern.” The two leaders also stated that Oman had agreed to work with Britain and France to ensure its sovereign territorial waters remain safe for navigation, and that both nations “stand ready to deploy the wider Multinational Military Mission” to support freedom of navigation.

Vessels Turned Back at the Chokepoint

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, citing the latest maritime tracking data, reported on Saturday that eight vessels attempting to cross the waterway along the coast of Oman were turned back. According to Bloomberg, some of those vessels “had made it as far as the tip of the Musandam Peninsula that sticks out into the chokepoint, before making sharp reversals.”

Bloomberg further reported that “one crude tanker, two products tankers, and one bulk carrier then sailed northward to take an outbound route” as directed by Iran. The incidents underscore how operational Tehran's control over the strait has become in recent months.

Context: Iran's Tightened Grip Since February

Iran has progressively tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz since 28 February, when it barred safe passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States — a move that followed their joint strikes on Iranian territory. Notably, approximately 20% of global oil supplies transit the strait, making any sustained disruption a direct threat to international energy markets.

This is not the first time Iran has leveraged the strait as a pressure point in geopolitical standoffs, but the combination of active vessel turnarounds and diplomatic warnings to European powers marks a notable escalation in its posture.

What Happens Next

The standoff sets the stage for a potential confrontation between Iran's declared authority over the strait and the West's stated intent to deploy a multinational naval mission. Whether Oman — which shares jurisdiction, according to Tehran — will formally align with the British-French framework or maintain its traditionally neutral diplomatic stance remains a critical variable. Energy markets and global shipping operators are closely watching for any further escalation.