Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following a naval confrontation involving its forces and fresh strikes targeting US interests in the Middle East.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired a naval cruise missile at a vessel it accused of using an unauthorised route through the strategic waterway.
According to reports by the BBC, the IRGC said the vessel was struck with warning fire after allegedly ignoring repeated instructions to change course.
Following the incident, the United States launched another wave of strikes, according to Iranian officials, after what they described as attacks by Iranian forces on the vessel.
In response, the IRGC announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice and said it had launched attacks against US bases and allies in the region.
In a statement published by Tasnim News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, the military accused foreign powers of interfering with the strategic waterway through what it described as unauthorised maritime activities.
“Given the precariousness that was caused by this unlawful interference by outside parties, the Strait of Hormuz is to be closed until further notice and until regional interference by the US ceases,” the statement said.
“No vessel or naval craft will be allowed to pass,” it added. The IRGC warned that any US response to the closure would be met with a strong reaction, adding that American military bases in the region could be targeted if further actions were taken.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator with the US, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, said the era of one-sided agreements was over.
“We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” Ghalibaf wrote on X. The Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, with a significant portion of global oil shipments passing through it.
