A leaked Iranian naval transmission reveals Revolutionary Guards openly insulting Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi while threatening to attack vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without approval.
An unusual recording from an Iranian naval communication network circulated on social media Saturday night, capturing members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sharply criticizing Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi while announcing the renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the broadcast, the IRGC Navy declared that the strategic waterway remains closed, contradicting earlier statements made by Araghchi indicating that maritime passage had been reopened. The message was transmitted over an Iranian maritime communication channel to vessels operating in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, only hours after political officials in Tehran signaled a possible easing of the naval blockade following a regional ceasefire.
In the recording, an IRGC unit identifying itself as “Sepandavi" addressed nearby ships, stating: “In the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, this is Iranian Sepandavi calling on Channel 16. The Strait of Hormuz is still closed. We will open it by order of our leader, Imam Khamenei, not by the tweets of some idiot." The IRGC message continued with a warning directed at foreign vessels, “If you want to pass through the strait, you must ask permission from Iranian Sepa navy. All vessels that have a connection to our enemies will be targeted if they try to pass the Strait of Hormuz."
The renewed closure follows a period of heightened tensions along key maritime routes, during which the international community anticipated a resumption of commercial shipping. Observers noted that the public insult directed at the foreign minister over an open communication channel is highly unusual, suggesting an effort by the IRGC to underscore its control over the strategic waterway, regardless of diplomatic initiatives led by Iran’s Foreign Ministry in ongoing talks with US officials in Islamabad. (Ed note: It looks like the "heightened tensions" between the IRGC and the diplomats may be coming to a head, and guess who is gaining control. Remember that the IRGC reports ONLY to the Ayatollah.) (Source)
