Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway in the Persian Gulf. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) made the announcement on April 18 as the US naval blockade continues. The IRGC’s Joint Military Command said in a statement that control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status due to the US’s continued blockade of Iranian ports.
Citing the IRGC, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that the US is carrying out “piracy and maritime theft in the name of blockade.” In this situation, control of the Strait of Hormuz has been taken back under the strict supervision of the armed forces as before. The IRGC statement added, “As long as the US does not restore full freedom of movement of ships from Iran to their destinations, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain under strict control and will remain as before.”
Earlier, Iran had warned that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed again if the US continued its naval blockade of Iranian ports. “If the blockade continues, the Strait of Hormuz will not be open. Shipping through this waterway will depend on Iran’s approval,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on social media.
The Strait of Hormuz carries one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG, making it crucial for international shipping. On February 28, Iran closed the vital waterway in the Persian Gulf, causing a global energy crisis. The US subsequently sought to seize control of the waterway, but that was unsuccessful.
Tehran has proven that it has the capability and willingness to strike not only the waterway but also the entire region’s vital infrastructure, threatening the oil and gas-based economies of the Gulf countries.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, nearly six weeks after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel came into effect. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the strait would remain open to all commercial shipping while the ceasefire was in effect.
On the same day, US President Trump said on his social media account Truth Social, “I just finished a very good meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. They have formally agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 5 pm EST today.”
Iran then called for the naval blockade to be lifted and warned that the strait could be closed again if the US naval blockade continues. However, Trump said, “The blockade will remain in place until a deal is made with Tehran.”
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