Iranian Armed Forces Intercept Two Oil Tankers Trying to Pass Hormuz

(MENAFN) Iranian military forces intercepted and turned back two oil tankers attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, semi-official media reported, as the standoff over one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints continues to escalate.

The two vessels—sailing under Botswana and Angolan flags—were halted after Iranian forces deemed their transit through the strait "illegal," according to the report.

The incident unfolded alongside a sharp diplomatic exchange between Tehran and Brussels. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei lashed out at European calls for unrestricted, toll-free navigation through the waterway, accusing the European Union of applying international law selectively.

Responding directly to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on X, Baghaei wrote: "Oh, that 'international law?!' The one that the EU dusts off to lecture others while quietly green-lighting a U.S.-Israeli war of aggression (against Iran) -- and looking the other way on atrocities against Iranians?!"

He continued: "Spare the sermons; Europe's chronic failure to practice what it preaches has turned its 'international law' talk into peak hypocrisy."

Kallas had previously cautioned that "any pay-for-passage scheme" would set "a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes," and signaled that the EU's Aspides naval mission is "already operating in the Red Sea and can be quickly strengthened to protect shipping across the region." Aspides—derived from the Greek word for "shield"—is an EU naval deployment launched in February 2024 to protect freedom of navigation across the Red Sea and surrounding waters.

Tehran began tightening its grip on the strait after the United States and Israel launched sweeping airstrikes against the Islamic Republic, initially barring vessels linked to both nations from passage. Washington subsequently imposed its own counter-restrictions after peace negotiations in Islamabad broke down.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated Friday that the strait would remain "completely open" to commercial traffic throughout a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States that took effect April 8. However, Iran's principal military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, announced Saturday it had reinstated stringent enforcement over the waterway, pointing to continued US restrictions as justification.

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