India, April 9 -- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has announced a new navigation protocol for the Strait of Hormuz effective as of today, citing a "wartime situation" and the presence of anti-ship mines. Ships attempting to cross without express authorization would be "targeted and destroyed," according to the IRGC, which has established a de facto controlled transit system that requires rigorous coordination for all passing vessels.

The IRGC emphasized that the strait will "never return to its previous status," signaling a permanent shift in control over the critical waterway through which about 20% of the world's oil normally passes.

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