TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced early Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz has been completely closed until further notice, following an incident where warning shots were fired at a commercial vessel .
The announcement, reported by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, stated that the strategic waterway will remain closed until the United States ends its intervention in the region . “The Strait of Hormuz has been closed until further notice and will remain closed until the United States ends its intervention in the region. No vessel will be permitted to transit the strait,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement .
According to the IRGC, the decision came after several ships ignored instructions to use an approved sea route and instead attempted to transit through an illegal route designated for foreign interference . One specific vessel posed a threat to maritime security after turning off its identification and surveillance systems . The IRGC said the ship was stopped after its forces fired warning shots .
The Revolutionary Guards also issued a stark warning against any potential retaliation. “Should the aggressor enemy exploit this development, which it, itself, has caused, as a pretext for committing another act of aggression against us, it will be met with a forceful response, and additional enemy bases in the region will be targeted,” the statement added . The IRGC further stated that any attempt to establish illegal routes for foreign interference in the Strait will be met with a strong response .
This escalation comes amid heightened tensions in the region following tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran and after a recent US ultimatum demanding Tehran guarantee safe passage through the strait . More than a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making its closure a significant threat to global energy supplies .
