TEHRAN: Iran has again announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, warning that any vessel attempting to pass through could be targeted.
The move follows reports that ships in and around the strategic waterway—including at least one tanker—were attacked on Saturday, allegedly by Iranian forces, BBC reported.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the decision was in response to an ongoing US naval blockade. The announcement came just a day after Iran’s foreign minister had said the key shipping route had been temporarily reopened.
US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s stance, saying Iran could not “blackmail” the United States with threats over the waterway, which has largely remained blocked for nearly two months, contributing to a surge in global energy prices.
In a statement, the IRGC Navy instructed that no vessels should leave their anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman. While some ships had been allowed to transit under Iranian supervision since Friday night, the force said the strait would be shut again until the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
It further warned that any vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be treated as cooperating with an adversary and could be attacked.
The US has maintained that its naval blockade, imposed on 13 April, will remain in place until a peace agreement is reached. A two-week ceasefire between the two sides is set to expire on April 22. Washington says it has already turned away 23 vessels since enforcing the blockade.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has condemned the blockade as a violation of the ceasefire and said it would halt any reopening of the strait while such actions continue.
Regarding efforts to end the conflict, the SNSC said new proposals from the US are under review, with no formal response yet. Earlier peace talks this month concluded without a deal.
Despite tensions, Trump said on Saturday that discussions with Tehran were progressing positively.
(Inputs from BBC)
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