Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have announced that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed “until further notice” after a vessel allegedly ignored approved navigation instructions.
The Guards said their forces fired warning shots at the ship and forced it to stop after it failed to comply with repeated directives to use an authorised shipping route.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the military declared, “Following this incident… the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region, and no vessels will be allowed to pass through.”
The latest development is expected to further strain efforts to revive negotiations between the United States and Iran following recent military exchanges and growing tensions.
Reports by Axios and Politico said Washington had given Tehran until Saturday to stop targeting commercial vessels in the strategic waterway and officially confirm that the route remained open.
One of the major sticking points in the talks is Iran’s insistence on controlling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States continues to demand unrestricted navigation.
The Revolutionary Guards also warned that they would target “new enemy bases in the region” if any fresh military action was launched against Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, with about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through it.
Any prolonged disruption along the waterway could trigger higher global energy prices and affect international shipping and trade.
While Iran argues it has the authority to regulate traffic and collect fees from vessels using the route, the United States maintains that international law guarantees free passage through the strategic strait.
