Baghaei said Tehran’s security measures in the Strait of Hormuz serve global trade and should earn fees, while a merchant-ship radio warning and vessel data pointed to restricted use of Iranian waters.
Conflicting signals emerged over access to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping chokepoint. Xinhua reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei said Tehran’s steps to ensure safe passage there protect national security and also serve the international community, adding that Iran should receive fees for services provided in the strait. Separately, a radio recording from a merchant ship said the IRGC Navy warned vessels on the night of the 13th not to transit and described the strait as fully closed. Vessel-tracking data on June 14 showed no commercial ships using Iran’s side over the previous 24 hours, with traffic instead concentrated in the Oman lane. That contrasted with earlier remarks from National Security Council vice chair Naboyan, who said commercial shipping would resume without restrictions under an Iran-U.S. memorandum text he had reviewed. Trump also said at 0:45 a.m. on social media that an Iran nuclear deal was planned for tomorrow and that the strait would open immediately to all countries afterward.