IRGC denies existence of US-Iran military hotline for Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Hossein Mohebi said on X that reports of a direct US-Iran military hotline for the Strait of Hormuz are "completely false" and will not be created. He added that the strait is Iranian territory and has no connection to the United States.

The statement came after a series of incidents in which commercial vessels were struck and US forces responded by targeting Iranian coastal facilities. The United States and Iran have exchanged fire for the first time since a memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, speaking after talks in Switzerland, indicated that a communication channel on the Iranian side would be set up to reduce Gulf tensions and suggested that direct military-to-military contacts had already been agreed. He said Iran had agreed to send an IRGC representative to Doha for discussions with U.S. Central Command.

Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that a line of communication had been created following the Swiss talks to help prevent incidents that could lead to escalation and to implement Article 5 of the memorandum, which concerns the resumption of commercial traffic.

The latest maritime incident involved the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely, which was hit by an unknown projectile while following a route recommended by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. The UKMTO subsequently raised the threat level in the strait to "substantial."

The IRGC has objected to a navigation route coordinated by Oman and the International Maritime Organization, saying it was not consulted. Vance warned Tehran that any violence would be met with a response and urged Iranian officials to use the phone if disagreements arise.