Iran warns that oil tankers transiting Strait of Hormuz must be careful
This illustrated photo taken in Krakow, Poland, on March 5, 2026, shows a MarineTraffic map showing current ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on a laptop screen and the MarineTraffic logo displayed on a phone screen.
Jakub Porzycki | Nurfoto | Getty Images
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned on Monday that oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz “must be very careful.”
Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also defended Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries, telling CNBC that targeting US “military bases and assets” in the region was “legitimate under international law.”
With the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, crude oil prices soared.
“As long as the situation is unsafe, I think all tankers and all shipping should be very careful,” said Baghaei, who is also president of the Center for Public Diplomacy.
He said Iran would fight against the United States and Israel “as long as it takes” and that his country was preparing for every possible scenario, including a possible land invasion.
Baghaei predicted that Iran will “unite around” new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was elected over the weekend to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the US and Israel’s war against Iran.
“Government institutions, the people, the authorities have all shown that they will unite around the new leadership,” Baghaei said. he said.
He rejected US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US have a say in choosing Iran’s leader.
“I think it is a fundamental principle of international law and civilization that the nation decides for itself, free from interference by foreigners,” Baghaei said. he said. “It is the absolute and unique right of Iranians to decide about their leadership and their system, and I think it is absolutely illegal for any politician outside of Iran to say who should govern Iran.
When asked why Iran is targeting Gulf countries with attacks on desalination facilities in Bahrain, oil refineries in Saudi Arabia and civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, Baghaei said: “We are just defending our country against attackers.”
“What we are doing against military bases and assets belonging to US aggressors in the region is legitimate according to international law,” he said. “We defend ourselves under Article 51 of the UN Charter. All military bases, installations and assets used in any way or form to assist aggressors are considered legitimate targets.”
