Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until further notice, citing what it described as ongoing American intervention in the region.
According to Iranian state television, the IRGC Navy declared that no vessel would be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice and until what it described as American intervention in the region comes to an end.
In a statement, the IRGC said that “foreign interference and the unlawful directing of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will prompt a decisive response from us and will disrupt the continued flow of maritime traffic through the strait.”
The statement added that, despite warnings issued only hours earlier, several vessels allegedly attempted to sail through an unauthorised route after what it described as incitement by foreign parties. It said the vessels ignored repeated warnings and instructions to correct their course and remain within the approved navigation route.
The IRGC further stated that “one vessel which endangered maritime security by disabling its navigation systems was subjected to warning fire, forcing it to stop,” according to the statement.
It also warned that “if the enemy makes the mistake of launching a new act of aggression against us under the pretext of this incident, which it caused itself, we will respond with force and target the enemy’s new bases in the region.”
The statement added that “the American Zionist state and the countries that allowed their territory to be used as bases for the enemy bear responsibility for the consequences of this intervention.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that the IRGC Navy targeted what it described as the “violating vessel”, which had ignored Iranian warnings, with a naval cruise missile, according to a statement issued by the naval force.
