Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) Alireza Tangsiri warned that vessels must obtain permission from the Islamic Republic before passing through the Strait of Hormuz, pro- and anti-regime outlets reported on Wednesday.
Ships that ignored warnings from the Iranian Navy and IRGC-N and attempted to pass through the waterway had "run into trouble," anti-regime London-based outlet Iran International cited Tangsiri as saying.
According to Iran International, he mentioned two vessels, Expres Rome and Mayuree Naree, saying that they tried to pass through the strait despite warnings, and were "caught in incidents."
Additionally, in the event that Iran's ports and docks are threatened, all ports and docks in the region will be legitimate targets for the Iranian military, a senior spokesperson told Iranian state TV.
Iran has laid about a dozen mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say
Meanwhile, Iran has deployed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, two sources familiar with the matter said, in a move likely to complicate the reopening of the narrow waterway, an important route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas.
Exports of oil and LNG through the strategic chokepoint along Iran's coast have effectively been halted by the war launched 12 days ago by the United States and Israel, helping to drive a surge in world energy prices.
Iran’s military command on Wednesday said the world should be prepared for oil to hit $200 a barrel.
One source said the locations of most of the mines are known but declined to say how the US planned to deal with them.
CNN first reported the mining of the strait on Tuesday.
Iran has long threatened to retaliate against any military attack by mining the strait. About a fifth of global oil and LNG normally passes through the strait, and Tehran's ability to stop shipping through the channel gives it enormous leverage over the US and its allies.
The US military says it has targeted Iranian mine-laying vessels, eliminating 16 of them on Tuesday. But the US Navy has so far declined to provide protective escorts to commercial ships through the strait.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded that Iran immediately remove any mines deployed in the strait and he said that it would face unspecified military consequences if it failed to do so.
Mayuree Naree is a Thailand-flagged bulk carrier that was hit by two projectiles, which caused a fire and damage to the engine room, the carrier operator Precious Shipping announced.
Twenty members of the vessel's crew were evacuated to Oman while three were reported missing, Thailand's Transport Ministry stated.
The ministry said the crew had abandoned the vessel in a lifeboat and were rescued by the Omani navy. It said an explosion occurred in the stern of the ship and caused a fire in the engine compartment, where the remaining three crew members had been working.
The outlet also cited maritime security agencies saying that three ships, including the Thailand-flagged vessel, had been "hit by unknown projectiles" on Wednesday, bringing the number of international vessels struck to at least 14 since the conflict began on February 28.
Two other vessels damaged on Wednesday by apparent Iranian strikes
The other two ships that sustained damage were the Japan-flagged container ship ONE Majesty, which is operated by Ocean Network Express, and bulk carrier Star Gwyneth, owned by Star Bulk Carriers, with crews on both vessels reported as safe, Iran International reported.
Tangsiri, who holds the rank equivalent to a rear-admiral, was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on 24 June 2019, followed by secondary sanctions in 2024 due to his role in an Iranian military company that develops drones.
He was appointed IRGCN chief by then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in August 2018.
In 2025, pro-regime Tehran Times reported that he claimed that the US is incapable of challenging Iran's "maritime dominance" in the Persian Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters contributed to this report