Iran warns US ships cannot pass through Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's approval

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's Hatam al-Anbiya Headquarters responded on Monday to comments by US President Donald Trump regarding the Strait of Hormuz, with a spokesman saying that no passage through the strategic waterway would be possible without Iranian authorization. The headquarters spokesperson added that the United States would not be permitted to interfere in any way with the management of the strait and that Iranian forces would respond firmly if the US military attempted to block shipping or jeopardized security in the waterway. The statement came hours after Trump announced that the United States would take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge fees for the protection of the strategic sea lane. In a separate statement on Sunday, Trump said the strait remained open to commercial vessel traffic. Iran previously said it had closed the strait after a ship that entered without authorization was struck. Shipping data showed that the number of vessels transiting the waterway fell on Sunday to its lowest level in recent weeks, following tit-for-tat strikes between the United States and Iran and a series of attacks on shipping across the Middle East. The Iranian headquarters said vessels would not be permitted to deviate from routes set by Tehran. No further details on the enforcement of the new restrictions were immediately available.