The Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of Iran
US President Donald Trump is reportedly in a state of frenzy following the unyielding stance of the Iranians, who now exert absolute control over the Strait of Hormuz. The seizure by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) of two vessels, one of which is the Greek-owned "Epaminondas," was only the beginning; today, Thursday (April 23, 2026), the Vice Speaker of the Iranian Parliament announced that the first transit tolls for the Strait have been deposited into Iran's central bank. Following the release of a video by the IRGC aimed at damaging US prestige, the American president responded with an unprecedented order: "Shoot and sink."
"I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any vessel, no matter how small (their warships are ALL, all 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), which places mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. There must be absolutely no delay. Furthermore, our minesweepers are clearing the Strait at this very moment. I hereby order this activity to continue, but with triple the intensity! Thank you for your attention to this matter," the US president stated in a post on Truth Social.
Tolls being paid to the Central Bank of Iran
Hamid-Reza Haji Babaee, Second Vice Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, also known as the Majlis, announced today, Thursday (April 23, 2026), that the country received its first revenues from tolls collected from ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to the press, the former Minister of Education stated that the revenues have already been deposited into the Central Bank of Iran, also known as Bank Markazi. Previously, the United States and the European Union opposed Iran's decision to begin charging vessels for transit. In fact, the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, stated that the EU is categorically opposed to any payment system for passage through the Strait. For his part, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei emphasized that Kallas's "ultimatum" to open the Strait exceeds her jurisdiction.
Full Iranian sovereignty in the Strait of Hormuz
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has frozen after Iran opened fire on commercial vessels and declared it had seized at least two ships ("Epaminondas," "Francesca"), an event occurring for the first time in nearly eight weeks of war. Only one vessel, the bulk carrier LB Energy, was seen moving through the waterway early today, Thursday (April 23, 2026), while no others were seen entering. The product tanker Ocean Jewel remains idle at the entrance of the corridor, having aborted its transit shortly after Iranian forces began firing at three vessels. Shipowners with vessels in the Persian Gulf have been on edge in recent days, with Wednesday’s (April 22, 2026) skirmish representing the second round of attacks in less than a week. Over the weekend, Iranian forces abruptly ended a brief opening of the straits by firing on passing ships—a move Tehran later stated was a response to the US decision to maintain its own naval blockade.
The links of vessels Ascanio and LB Energy to Greece
Nevertheless, it should be noted that following the seizures of the two ships on Wednesday, the Ascanio, a Greek-owned cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag which had delivered food to Iran, crossed the Strait late the same day and is now heading south into the Gulf of Oman. Also, early today, Thursday (April 23, 2026), only one ship was seen moving through the waterway: the LB Energy, owned by Woody Chartering Ltd. according to the Equasis shipping database, which shares the same address in Greece as its manager, Grehel Shipmanagement Co. The owner and manager of the Ocean Jewel is Shanghai-based Ocean Jewel Shipping Co. Ltd. The company Ascanio Maritime, owner of the Ascanio, shares the same address in Athens as the management company Minoa Marine.
The Pentagon report on mines
Meanwhile, a Pentagon report highlights that it will take six months for Hormuz to be cleared of the mines placed by Iran, a fact that could keep oil prices at high levels. Furthermore, it is ruled out that such an operation would begin before the end of the war. The six-month estimate was shared with members of the House Armed Services Committee during a classified briefing. According to the same briefing, Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the Strait, some of which are remotely deployed using GPS technology, making them more difficult to detect.
The "danger zone"
For their part, Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned of a "danger zone" covering 1,400 square kilometers—14 times the size of Paris—where mines may be present. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament stated that the Islamic Republic will not reopen the straits as long as the US naval blockade remains in place. At the same time, a spokesperson for the German transport giant Hapag-Lloyd warned last week that shipping companies need details on viable routes, as they remain fearful of the mines.
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