Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice, warning that no vessel will be permitted to transit the strategically important waterway.
The IRGC said the closure would remain in effect until the end of what it described as US interference in the region, according to Iranian state media. The announcement followed an incident in which Iranian forces fired a warning shot at a vessel accused of ignoring instructions and attempting to travel through an unauthorized shipping route.
Iran later said it had disabled a second vessel in the area. Independent details about the ships and the extent of any damage were not immediately available.
The closure marks a sharp escalation in renewed hostilities between Tehran and Washington and threatens to further disrupt a maritime route that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies.
Explosions Reported Near Chabahar and Kerman
Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard near the southeastern port city of Chabahar following US military action against targets along Iran’s southern coast.
Separately, the state-affiliated Mehr News Agency reported that communications infrastructure in the central province of Kerman had been struck in a US attack.
The US military carried out a large wave of strikes against Iranian targets after Tehran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said approximately 140 sites were targeted in the operation, which was intended to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic.
Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones toward US military facilities and regional allies. Strikes and air-raid alerts were reported in several countries, including Qatar and Oman, as the conflict spread across the Gulf region.
Iran Accuses US of Violating Shipping Agreement
Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia told Iranian state television that Washington had a long history of breaking its commitments, citing the United States’ 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and what he described as recent violations of a ceasefire arrangement.
Akraminia accused the US of attempting to impose an unauthorized shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that the move violated the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, an interim US-Iran agreement governing the reopening and safe passage of commercial vessels through the waterway.
“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are obligated to provide the necessary security for passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to apply the arrangements envisioned by Iran under the agreement,” Akraminia said.
