TEHRAN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that 26 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission and coordinating with its Navy.
In a statement on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said that the previous night, several ships attempted to enter the Gulf without authorization by tampering with and disabling their navigation systems. Its naval forces stopped two of them and forced the rest to return after radio warnings.
It said that in violation of the April 8 ceasefire, the U.S. "terrorist" army launched missiles at empty areas of an airport in Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas, causing no casualties or damage. In response, the IRGC struck the U.S. base from which the attack originated and warned of a "harsh" response if repeated.
The IRGC said it is exercising smart control over the Strait of Hormuz with full power, and the 26 vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships, transited via the Iran-designated safe route.
It stressed that only its Navy is authorized to manage the strategic waterway, and any disruption will be met with its decisive response. ■
