‘Expel US, Israel Envoys’: Iran sets condition for Strait of Hormuz passage
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Tuesday March 10, 2026 asked Arab and European countries to expel the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors if they want safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Tuesday March 10, 2026 asked Arab and European countries to expel the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors if they want safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran blocked the passage of all oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz last week, days after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israeli joint military forces.
Some 1,300 Iranians have been killed in the US-Israel joint bombing on Tehran and other parts of the country since Feb 28, 2026.
The death toll in Israel due to Iran’s retaliatory airstrikes, as per the Zionist government, is 11-13. The United States has acknowledged the death of 08 of its soldiers whereas 14 people have died in Bahrain, UAE and other Gulf states.
Iran has accused the US and Israel of hiding the actual losses and death toll.
Strait of Hormuz blockade
Amid the escalating war, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, around 150 ships carrying oil tankers have been stranded or are avoiding the route. The blockade has halted about 20% of global oil flow, causing oil prices to surge above $100 per barrel, according to BBC.
In order to ease the blockade, the IRGC said only those Arab or European countries that expel Israeli and American ambassadors from their territory will be granted the right to transit through the strategic waterway, according to a report by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.
This comes as US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran with a much larger attack if Tehran tries to block supplies of oil.
"If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far," Trump wrote.
“Hollow Threats”
The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, dismissed Trump's threats as "hollow" and invoked Iran’s historical and religious identity.
"Iran does not fear your hollow threats," Larijani said adding, "Those even greater than you were unable to eliminate the Iranian nation. Be careful about yourself, so that you are not the one who is eliminated!"
In another post, Larijani said the Strait of Hormuz will either be a strait of peace and prosperity for all or a strait of defeat and suffering for "warmongers".
Meanwhile, the White House has disputed US Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s claim — made earlier on Tuesday — that the country’s navy escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, amid tensions over the flow of oil and gas through the narrow channel.
Speaking at a media briefing, White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that in fact, the US Navy had as of yet not escorted any vessel through the strait.
Wright, who had made his claim on X, has since deleted the post.
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