Iran announces new shipping routes and control in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has announced it is establishing alternative, secure shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. The move is being coordinated with the country's Revolutionary Guard and comes with the publication of maps showing sea mines, formalizing Iran's control over the critical waterway.

This action has disrupted shipping traffic despite a recent ceasefire and has alarmed neighboring Gulf states. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has signaled this represents a new phase of control, which some analysts describe as a major strategic power play for the country.