IRGC says new Hormuz route announced without Iran coordination is unacceptable, dangerous

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps on Thursday said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz was only possible through routes designated by Iran, and that a new route announced without coordination with Iran is unacceptable and a safety risk.

In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, the IRGC said it would take action against vessels that fail to comply with the requirements.

The IRGC added that coordination with its naval forces through international maritime Channel 16 was mandatory for vessels crossing the strait, warning that violators would face action.

Iran slams NATO chief's comments on US support in war

Tehran accused NATO on Thursday of “complicity” in the US-Israeli war against Iran, after the bloc’s chief noted its support for the United States in the conflict.

Responding to US President Donald Trump’s criticism of allies for not supporting the war, NATO boss Mark Rutte told Fox News that hundreds of American planes launched from bases in Italy.

Trump’s second term has been marked by tensions with NATO allies, who have voiced scepticism over the need for the conflict in the Middle East.

“Country after country, ally after ally after ally, have made their bases available for Epic Fury,” Rutte told US TV channel Fox News, referring to the US military operation in Iran.

“Five hundred US planes took off from US bases in Italy to support Epic Fury,” he said, referring to the US name for the operation against Iran.

Read More: Hormuz fees unacceptable in any Iran deal: Trump

Trump had told Rutte on Wednesday he was “let down” by members of the alliance who did not back his war against Iran.

Rutte also told Fox News that Romania “cut down on commercial air flights and aeroplanes because they had to use the airports for the tanker facilities” during the Iran war.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the NATO chief’s admission of “active complicity” in the “unlawful war.”

“This is a clear and damning admission of NATO’s active complicity in an unlawful war of aggression against a sovereign UN Member State,” Baqaei wrote on X.

This is a clear and damning admission of NATO’s active complicity in an unlawful war of aggression against a sovereign UN Member State — a flagrant violation of peremptory norms of international law and the core principles of the UN Charter.

The Organization and its individual… pic.twitter.com/q2OPKVrSkM

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) June 25, 2026

He accused NATO of “a flagrant violation of peremptory norms of international law and the core principles of the UN Charter.”

Italy was quick to distance itself from Rutte’s words, which the defence ministry said gave “a completely misleading message by confusing the type of flights that were authorised.”

It said Italy had allowed only “technical and logistical” US flights during Epic Fury under existing agreements with the United States.

Hormuz fees unacceptable in any Iran deal: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that any final agreement with Iran that included fees on shipping or maritime transit would be "unacceptable" to the US.

Speaking to reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump was asked whether he would oppose a final Iran deal if it allowed any form of charges on shipping or maritime activity.

"It would be unacceptable to me," said Trump. The president argued that permitting fees would set a precedent that could encourage similar demands elsewhere.

"If you did that for them, you'd have to do it for other people," he said. "I wouldn't allow it there either. Yeah, it would. It would be a game changer."

Meanwhile, Trump jolted Republicans during a fiery appearance at the US Capitol, scrapping a housing bill signing ceremony and clashing behind closed doors with a party rebel who challenged him over the Iran war.

Trump had been expected to sign the bipartisan housing affordability package at a high-profile event, giving Republicans a chance to tout action on one of voters' biggest economic concerns ahead of November's midterm elections.

But the president abruptly cancelled the ceremony two hours beforehand, saying he would not sign the bill until Congress passed the SAVE America Act, his long-sought package of voting restrictions.