TEHRAN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reportedly forced U.S. troops to retreat on Sunday after they opened fire on an Iranian commercial ship near the Gulf of Oman, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
The IRGC also announced the opening of a new route for ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Citing exclusive sources, the report said the "terrorist" U.S. forces deployed to waters near the Gulf of Oman fired at an Iranian commercial ship to force it to sail back to Iran's territorial waters in response to the IRGC's closure of and measures to control the Strait of Hormuz and sending back of Indian and British commercial vessels from the waterway.
"With the timely presence and rapid reaction of the IRGC Navy's units in support of the Iranian ship, the U.S. troops were forced to retreat and leave the area," it said.
Also on Sunday, state-run IRIB TV reported that the IRGC Navy has opened a new vessel transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, named the "Larak Corridor."
The route spans from south of Hormuz Island to south of Larak Island, the report said, adding it can be used by vessels only after the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and with the IRGC Navy's permission.
The route lies entirely within Iran's territorial waters, and unauthorized transit is impossible given the IRGC Navy's tight control over the waterway, the report said.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait beginning Feb. 28, when Israel and the United States launched their joint strikes on Iranian territory. The United States recently imposed a blockade targeting ships going to and from Iran, after peace negotiations in Islamabad collapsed.
On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz would be "completely open" to commercial shipping for the duration of the two-week truce between Iran and the United States, which took effect on April 8, in line with the announcement of the truce in Lebanon.
However, Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, announced on Saturday the resumption of strict control over the Strait of Hormuz due to the continued U.S. naval blockade. ■
