Ship runs aground in Hormuz as Iran insists on controlling the strait

By Euronews Persian Published on 01/07/2026 - 14:37 GMT+2•Updated 14:38 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp Iran's IRGC said the grounding was caused by the vessel straying from its approved corridor. Hormuz control and the Israeli intervention against Hezbollah in Lebanon remain the two main obstacles to a final deal. A foreign container ship ran aground in the shallow waters on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, as Tehran continues to insist on maintaining control of the key waterway, according to Iranian state television and multiple Iranian official sources. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Iran's IRGC claimed the grounding was linked to the vessel not using Iran's approved route. Iranian officials said they had "repeatedly warned captains, shipowners and officials of shipping companies around the world that any entry or exit through routes other than the 'Route of Authority' in the Persian Gulf could lead to irreparable incidents." Iranian state television said the ship ran aground "because of shallow waters along its chosen route" and gave no further details about its identity or nationality. The vessel is believed to have been using the Oman corridor established last week by Muscat in coordination with the International Maritime Organization as an alternative to Iran's designated route south of Larak Island. The IRGC said it would only guarantee safe navigation for vessels that coordinate their passage through the Iranian corridor, promising that "the Revolutionary Guard Navy will be responsible for their security from the moment they enter until they leave the Persian Gulf." The grounding is the latest flashpoint in a dispute over who controls navigation through the strait. Iran's position — that it holds sovereign authority over the waterway and may designate approved routes and eventually charge transit fees — directly contradicts longstanding international law and the position of the US, the Gulf states and most of the international community, who regard the strait as an international waterway under the transit passage provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Iran has signed but never ratified it. The incident coincided with the arrival in Qatar of US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner for talks over reaching a permanent end to the Iran war. Iran's top negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, also travelled to Doha with a team. Technical talks between diplomats began Wednesday in Qatar, two regional officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions. Negotiators aim to nail down specifics to pave the way for top leaders to seal an agreement, although differences over the strait and the Israeli intervention against Hezbollah in Lebanon loom large. Hormuz remains crucial The Strait of Hormuz remains the central sticking point in the US-Iran talks. Under the interim memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June, ships may transit the waterway without fees for 60 days. Tehran insists it must control the route taken by vessels and intends to charge transit fees once that period expires — a position Washington and Gulf Arab states have flatly rejected. The US Treasury sanctioned Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority in May, calling it an unlawful scheme to extort commercial shipping. Related Iran says delegation to visit Qatar this week but insists no negotiations scheduled with the USUS envoys Witkoff and Kushner land in Qatar for fresh Iran war talks A senior US official told AP that the Hormuz dispute and the situation in Lebanon remain the two main obstacles to a final agreement. An attempt last week by Oman and the IMO to formalise an alternative shipping corridor near the Omani coast triggered a new wave of IRGC warnings and a broader exchange of fire across the region, as the situation around the strait remains volatile even as diplomacy continues. While ship traffic in the strait dropped after this weekend's attacks, more countries say their vessels have left the crucial waterway. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that 10 out of 11 Thai-flagged vessels or vessels chartered by Thai operators have departed the Strait of Hormuz safely. South Korean officials say all but two of the country’s 26 vessels that were stranded have left safely. Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more Iran says delegation to visit Qatar this week but insists no negotiations scheduled with the US Timelapse video shows ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz since reopening Iran delegation in Qatar seeks deal on frozen assets and Hormuz blockade Ships Qatar Strait of Hormuz Iran nuclear program Oman