State TV says three tankers changed course after IRGC warning in Hormuz

An Iranian state television correspondent said on Friday that three foreign oil tankers changed course after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned ships not to use what it described as an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the correspondent, the IRGC Navy issued a warning at around 4 a.m. on Thursday, saying a new transit route announced by some authorities without coordination with Iran was "illegal, unacceptable and highly dangerous."

The correspondent said three foreign tankers that had intended to use the southern corridor through the strait "were stopped and changed their course toward the Persian Gulf."

He also said ships must coordinate passage through the Strait of Hormuz with the IRGC Navy via marine radio Channel 16 and warned that vessels using routes other than those designated by Iran could face "legal and severe" action.

The report further said ships transiting through unauthorized routes could lose insurance coverage and that any consequences would be the responsibility of vessel owners, operators and captains.