Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard expands military footprint in the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, defying international maritime law and drawing sharp rebukes from Gulf neighbors.
DUBAI: Tensions in the Persian Gulf have reached a new flashpoint as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared a massive expansion of its military operational zone in the Strait of Hormuz. Defying international maritime protocols, Tehran has redefined the narrow waterway—responsible for nearly 20% of the world’s oil trade—as a vast strategic arc, a move that regional leaders warn could weaponize global energy supplies.
The declaration coincides with a high-stakes security incident in Kuwait, where authorities confirmed the arrest of four IRGC members during a thwarted maritime infiltration attempt, further straining relations between Iran and its Gulf neighbors.
From Passage to ‘Strategic Arc’
According to Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the deputy political chief of the IRGC Navy, Tehran no longer views the Strait of Hormuz as a limited maritime passage. Speaking to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Akbarzadeh revealed that the IRGC’s operational perspective has shifted from a 30-mile radius around key islands to a “complete arc” spanning up to 300 miles (approximately 480 km).
This expanded zone now encompasses a massive stretch from Jask and Sirri Island to areas beyond Greater Tunb. This territorial assertion directly challenges the “freedom of transit passage” guaranteed to international shipping under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Gulf Nations Warn Against ‘Blackmail’
The expansion has triggered immediate diplomatic backlash. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani issued a stern warning on Tuesday, stating that the Middle East crisis must not be used to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a “geopolitical weapon.”
“Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries,” the Prime Minister stated during a press conference in Doha. He emphasized that any disruption to the waterway would have severe economic repercussions for the entire region.
Security Breach in Kuwait
Adding to the volatility, Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior announced that it had foiled a “hostile infiltration operation.” Four men, including two navy colonels and two other high-ranking officers from the IRGC, were intercepted near Bubiyan Island.
The suspects were reportedly aboard a fishing boat specifically chartered for “hostile actions” against Kuwait. This incident has heightened fears of covert IRGC operations targeting the domestic security of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.
The ‘Trigger’ and the Negotiating Table
Despite the aggressive posturing, Tehran maintains it is open to dialogue, albeit from a position of military readiness. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani noted that while Tehran pursues a “negotiated settlement,” the military remains “holding the trigger.”
The IRGC, an elite force of over 190,000 personnel operating independently of Iran’s regular army, remains the primary architect of this strategy. With its naval wing frequently accused of harassing commercial vessels, the expansion of its operational zone signals a more assertive—and potentially disruptive—era for global shipping in the Gulf.
