Iranian forces fire on vessels entering Hormuz without authorization
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Iranian naval forces opened live fire on four foreign vessels on Thursday morning after they allegedly attempted to navigate through the highly contested Strait of Hormuz without prior security clearance, according to Iranian state media.
The military escalation comes amid an incredibly tense international standoff over the vital maritime energy corridor.
Warnings ignored
Quoting a senior military official, Iranian state television reported that the four commercial ships attempted to cross the strategic strait and enter the Gulf without any prior coordination with local maritime security forces.
When the vessels reportedly ignored successive verbal and radio warnings issued by Iranian patrol units, security forces opened warning shots and direct fire toward the ships, ultimately forcing them to halt their advance and retreat.
"The four ships ignored the warning, so fire was opened toward them, forcing them to turn back." - Iranian Military Official via State TV
