Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador — who represents US interests in Tehran — on Saturday to lodge a formal protest against President Donald Trump's order directing the US military to shoot and kill Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz. The move marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two countries over control of one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.

Trump announced the shoot-to-kill directive on Thursday, framing it as a necessary measure to protect commercial and military vessels from what he described as harassing maneuvers by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval units. The order drew immediate international concern, with analysts warning that even a minor miscalculation in the narrow waterway could trigger a broader conflict affecting global oil supplies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking in Tehran on Saturday, called the order 'reckless and illegal under international maritime law,' and warned that Iranian forces retained the right to defend their territorial waters. He stopped short of threatening immediate military retaliation but indicated that Iran would respond 'decisively' to any unprovoked attack on its naval assets.

Gulf Cooperation Council member states, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia — both heavily dependent on Hormuz for their oil exports — issued a joint statement urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint and pursue diplomatic channels. Senior Emirati officials privately conveyed concern to Washington that a naval incident could destabilize regional energy markets at a moment of already elevated economic uncertainty.

The US Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, confirmed it had received updated rules of engagement consistent with the president's directive, though Pentagon spokespersons declined to provide operational details. Shipping industry groups reported that several tanker operators were reviewing their Hormuz transit protocols in light of the heightened risk environment, with insurance premiums for vessels transiting the strait rising sharply.