Iran has completely closed the Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic following a new incident involving a civilian vessel, The Times of Israel reported.
According to reports citing the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), several vessels attempted to transit the strategic waterway using an unauthorized route, ignoring repeated demands from Iranian authorities to alter their course.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
The IRGC stated that one of the vessels deactivated its tracking systems, creating a threat to maritime security. In response, Iranian military forces struck and halted the ship.
Following the interdiction, Tehran announced a total blockade of the vital shipping chokepoint, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes.
“No vessel will be allowed to pass through it,” the IRGC declared in a statement, adding that the restrictions will remain in place indefinitely until what it described as US “interference” in the region ceases.
The IRGC coupled the blockade with a stark warning to Washington, threatening that if the US launches new retaliatory military strikes, American military bases across the Middle East will once again become targets for Iranian attacks.
The closure represents a direct and explosive defiance of the Trump administration, which had set a weekend deadline demanding Tehran guarantee freedom of navigation and halt its attacks on commercial shipping.
Other Topics of Interest
