Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Saturday it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing a U.S. naval blockade and firing on a tanker.[1]
The closure heightens already high tensions between Tehran and Washington and threatens the flow of commerce through a narrow waterway that sees daily traffic.[4]
According to Iranian military statements, gunboats opened fire on a tanker transiting the waterway, and an unknown projectile struck a container vessel, damaging several containers.[2] The IRGC said the projectile hit the ship’s cargo area, though it did not identify the weapon used.[1]
Iran’s forces said the action was a direct response to what they described as a U.S. blockade of the channel, a claim the United States has not publicly confirmed.[3] A U.S. Navy spokesperson said the United States is monitoring the situation and has no plans to alter its operations in the region.[3]
The strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime passages, carries a significant share of global oil and cargo shipments, so any disruption reverberates through energy markets and diplomatic relations.[4]
This is not the first time the IRGC has tightened control of the waterway; similar closures have been used as leverage in past disputes, underscoring the strategic importance of the passage.[4]
Regional navies, including those of the United Kingdom and France, said they are keeping warships in the area to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels.[2]
Iranian officials said they will maintain the closure until what they call a “U.S. blockade” is lifted, and they said shipping companies should respect Iran’s decision.[1]
“Iran says the closure is a response to a U.S. naval blockade.”
The renewed shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz signals a sharp escalation in Tehran‑Washington tensions and threatens to disrupt a key artery for global oil and trade, potentially prompting rerouting of vessels, higher shipping costs, and heightened naval presence from regional and extra‑regional powers.
