Iran reaffirmed its right to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against aligning with the United States, a day after an attack on a commercial vessel near Oman underscored the fragility of a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the Iran war, Reuters reports.


Tehran was responding to what it described as an "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" joint statement issued by the United States and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which rejected Iran's insistence that it has the authority to impose tolls on vessels transiting the strategic waterway.


"Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran's role as a coastal state into account," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X.


Oil prices extended losses on June 26 despite differing interpretations of last week's interim agreement between Tehran and Washington and continued disruptions to shipping through the strait, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.


Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings at its Ras Tanura terminal—the world's largest oil export port—on Friday after a suspension of nearly four months, according to shipping data.


US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, concluding a tour of Gulf countries aimed at reassuring regional allies about the interim agreement, warned that Washington would respond if Iran attempted to disrupt maritime traffic.


"If Iran threatened or blocked ships in the strait, we're going to have a problem," Rubio told reporters.


In their joint statement, Rubio and GCC foreign ministers called for "free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation" through the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or "attempts to assert control." They also said that any lasting peace agreement must address Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs, as well as its support for proxy groups.


Iran's Foreign Ministry responded by accusing the US military presence in the Gulf of fueling regional insecurity and division. It maintained that the Strait of Hormuz should be administered jointly by Iran and Oman under the terms of the interim agreement.


"We warn against the continuation of hostile and interventionist policies in the region," the ministry said.


Tehran assumed effective control over the waterway after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered the conflict, disrupting global energy supplies and rattling international markets.


Meanwhile, Taiwan's Evergreen Marine said its Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely was struck by an "unknown object" near Oman on June 25 while sailing along a route recommended by the British maritime security agency UKMTO.


No injuries were reported, and the vessel later resumed its voyage out of the Strait of Hormuz.


Two US officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the vessel. Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, established to manage transit requests through the waterway, responded by saying that ships using unauthorized routes would do so at "the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander."


The US government did not immediately comment on the allegation. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump warned that if Iran failed to honor the interim agreement—including reopening the Strait of Hormuz—the United States would likely resume military strikes against the country.


Despite the preliminary agreement, major disagreements remain over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections, and Israel's parallel military campaign in Lebanon. The framework provides for 60 days of negotiations to address those issues, including Iran's nuclear program.


The conflict has also become a growing political issue in the United States ahead of November's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.


Separately, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) temporarily suspended its operation to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz following Thursday's incident near Oman.


Earlier this week, the IMO and Oman announced a new southern shipping route through the strait to help evacuate hundreds of vessels stranded by the conflict, a move that drew criticism from Tehran.


By Vafa Guliyeva