Iran Guards say they stopped four ships near Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that their naval forces stopped four ships that were trying to pass through the southern area of the Strait of Hormuz during the previous 24 hours.

In a statement quoted by state television, the Guards said the vessels had planned to use what they described as an illegal and unsafe route. They said IRGC Navy forces fired warning shots and that the ships then changed course.

The report described the Strait of Hormuz as strategic. It said Iran has in recent weeks hit tankers using a route close to the Omani coast, in what it described as an effort to pressure vessels to use Iranian waters and pay for safe passage.