Florida [US], July 30 (ANI): Amid heightened tensions with Tehran and mounting anxieties regarding maritime safety in the Gulf, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of trying to intimidate merchant vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that the crucial sea route remains accessible for global passage regardless of claims made by Iran.

In an official communication released on Wednesday, CENTCOM stated that the IRGC had recently issued threats and attempted strikes against commercial ships and civilian seafarers traversing the strategic passage.

The American military also charged the Iranian outfit with attempting to force preferred navigation routes on global commercial transport passing through one of the most critical energy transit points worldwide.

'After recently threatening and attempting to attack commercial vessels and innocent mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to claim that international mariners should only use routes the IRGC prefers,' the US military said in its statement.

Refuting the position taken by Tehran, the US armed forces emphasised that the maritime corridor is an international passage governed by global maritime regulations, placing it outside the jurisdiction of the IRGC.

'The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway. The IRGC has no authority to dictate routes for free and open traffic flow,' CENTCOM stated, noting that merchant shipping is actively proceeding through the maritime passage under the protection of American forces positioned across the region.

This statement follows escalations in the conflict between Washington and Tehran that have left the Middle East in a state of high alert, triggering concerns over potential wider disruptions to regional stability and global energy supplies.

Situated between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz serves as the vital maritime connector between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea.

With approximately twenty per cent of global seaborne petroleum movement passing through this sea lane, any interference with navigation poses significant risks to international energy markets.

Meanwhile, the naval wing of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Wednesday that it 'targeted and stopped' three oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz for disregarding explicit warnings, Iranian media outlet Tasnim reported.

The IRGC statement added that the 'illegal interventions and orders' issued by the US will not remain 'unanswered by vessels in the region', according to the report published by Tasnim News Agency. (ANI)