Middle East — 2026-06-26

IRGC Orders Vessels to Turn Back in Southern Hormuz Corridor, Stalling Strait Recovery

BLUFIran's June 25 enforcement collapses the distinction between IRGC-designated and internationally coordinated transit routes, leaving no path through Hormuz that does not require Iranian permission.

On June 25, the IRGC published a Telegram claim that three tankers in the southern Hormuz corridor were ordered to reverse course Windward" data-url="https://windward.ai/blog/irgc-turn-back-order-stalls-strait-of-hormuz-recovery/" data-rt="primary" data-otype="osint">1. Windward's tracking identified five vessels exhibiting consistent turnaround behavior, with a sixth losing AIS signal during the incident 1. Lloyd's List confirmed two vessels by name: MOL-owned Azumasan (Singapore-flagged) and Blue Star I (Togo-flagged), both of which U-turned while attempting the Oman-coordinated IMO evacuation route 2. Via Sepah News, the IRGC declared that corridor "unacceptable and completely dangerous" and warned that movements outside Iranian-designated routes were "highly dangerous and prohibited," with VHF Channel 16 coordination with the IRGC Navy mandatory 234. Windward recorded 43 transits on June 25 against 49 the prior day; the strait remained operationally open 1.

Analysis
The IRGC's June 25 enforcement of the southern Hormuz corridor, previously assessed as not requiring Iranian approval, removes the last route through the Strait not subject to IRGC coordination requirements. The Oman-coordinated IMO evacuation framework is now structurally contested: Tehran's position that only Iran-designated routes are lawful directly contradicts IMO guidance, placing vessels following international protocols into active enforcement risk. Moderate confidence rests on convergent AIS tracking from Windward and Lloyd's List, offset by absent diplomatic or military corroboration. Crude throughput cannot recover while no recognized governing authority exists. The IRGC's defiance mirrors its behavior in the Lebanon withdrawal talks, where Washington's MOU linkage has produced friction without constraining Iranian action at the chokepoint it was designed to govern. That 43 transits still completed suggests the enforcement may reflect posturing for Swiss talks leverage rather than durable policy.

4 sources

IRGC Orders Vessels to Turn Back: The Southern Corridor Reversal Stalls the Hormuz Recovery - Windward
UPDATED: At least two tankers U-turn after IRGC rejects Hormuz evacuation route - Lloyd's List
IRGC warns against new Hormuz route for ships: What we know - Al Jazeera
Ships Turn Back in Strait of Hormuz as IRGC Renews Transit Warnings - gCaptain