TEHRAN — The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has struck and halted two “violating” oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they attempted to pass through an unauthorized route under U.S. military escort, as Iran declares the strategic waterway closed until U.S. threats and interference cease.
In a statement on Friday, the IRGC said two oil tankers ignored repeated warnings and attempted to transit through an “unsafe and illegal route” under the aerial escort of the “child-killing U.S. army.” 
They were struck and brought to a halt. Four other violating tankers immediately reversed course and returned to their previous location.
“The IRGC Navy once again warns that the illegal interference and orders issued by the child-killing U.S. army to vessels in the region will not go unanswered,” the statement added.
The latest incident comes after the IRGC declared on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as long as U.S. threats and interference in the region continue. 
In a separate statement, the IRGC said two oil tankers had attempted to use an “unsafe southern route” after being directed by U.S. military aircraft, with one catching fire and forcing both vessels to reverse course.
“The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the brave men of the IRGC Navy firmly control it. No outsider who has come from thousands of kilometers away will be allowed to interfere,” the IRGC said.
MarineTraffic, a maritime tracking website, on Friday conceded that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is only possible via the Iranian-designated route, as traffic through the strategic waterway plummeted by 77 percent.
According to data from the maritime tracking platform, confirmed transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell from 22 vessels the previous day to just five on Thursday, a decline of 77 percent. 
All five vessels used the Iranian-designated route, with no transits recorded through the Traffic Separation Scheme or the unauthorized route established by U.S. forces near Omani waters.
The U.S. has been attacking Iran since earlier in July after Washington violated the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was meant to permanently end the war that the U.S. and Israeli regime unleashed against Iran in late February.
The understanding recognized Iran’s rights and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Iran was responsible for removing restrictions it had imposed on vessels affiliated with aggressors since the start of the aggression. 
However, the U.S. attempted to undermine Iran’s sovereignty by establishing an unsafe corridor near Omani shores, prompting Tehran to re-impose restrictions on the strategic waterway.
Tehran says any movement in the strategic chokepoint must be conducted under Iranian arrangements, as per the understanding.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) confirmed that passage through the Strait of Hormuz is currently impossible because of the continued “aggressive actions” of U.S. military forces in the region.
“Due to the continued aggressive actions of the United States military forces in the region, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is not possible,” the authority said in a Friday statement. 
“As soon as stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed based on their order and schedule, and permits will be issued gradually.”
The United States government announced a new wave of sanctions affecting Iran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz. 
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 10 entities and eight tankers, including two Iranian firms—Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Co and Hormuz Safe Marine Services Authority—which the U.S. claimed play a role in Iran’s efforts to receive crypto assets and revenue from ships transiting Hormuz.
Sanctions were also imposed on entities based in China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and the Marshall Islands.
Iran has imposed tight controls on Hormuz since the early days of the U.S.-Israeli aggression in March to protect its security and collect funds for reconstruction. 
Iran briefly eased restrictions after signing the initial agreement with the U.S., but controls were reintroduced after Washington attempted to ignore Iran’s rights under the agreement.
The U.S. attacks on southern Iranian provinces have been met with a strong response by Iran against U.S. bases in regional countries. The Iranian Army and the IRGC have launched multiple waves of Operation Nasr 2 and Operation Sa’eqeh (Lightning), pounding U.S.-run bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
The IRGC has warned countries assisting the United States that they would face consequences if they continued supporting its aggression. 
Iranian authorities have repeatedly stated that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war status, and the only way transit could flow unimpeded is for the United States and its allies to completely lift sanctions on Iran.