DUBAI
\nIran\u2019s joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a \u201cforceful response,\u201d again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies.
\nThe strait, the narrow mouth of the Arabian Gulf, has emerged as one of the top issues in negotiations to reach a permanent end to the Iran war.
\nThe statement from the Khatam Al-Anbiya military command, reported by Iranian state television, comes after both US and Iranian diplomats met with mediators on Wednesday in Qatar. It wasn\u2019t immediately clear what sparked the threat from Iran.
\nHowever, the US military\u2019s Central Command had put out a statement about having a meeting with officials from Mideast nations in Bahrain that said \u201cleaders underscored their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d
\n\u201cAny failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels,\u201d the Iranian statement said.
\nIt also said the continued presence of US fighter jets over the strait \u201ccauses insecurity in this waterway and threatens regional security.\u201d
\nIran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny attempt by the United States to interfere in security matters or any disruptive action in the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a threat to Iran\u2019s national sovereignty and will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction,\u201d the Iranian warning added.<\/p>\n
But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades of practice in the waterway. The US and many Gulf Arab states say they won\u2019t agree to the charges. An effort by Oman and a United Nations agency to launch a new route near Oman\u2019s shore sparked attacks across the Middle East last weekend, highlighting the tensions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DUBAI Iran\u2019s joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a \u201cforceful response,\u201d again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies. The strait, the narrow mouth of the Arabian Gulf, has emerged as one of the top […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-554173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n