Iran Closes Strait Of Hormuz Again Over US Blockade

Iran said yesterday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again, calling the decision a response to a continued blockade of its ports by the United States.

Two Iranian gunboats opened fire at a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, while a container ship was also hit by an “unknown projectile”, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), as reported by the BBC.

According to Aljazeera TV, the Iranian military said control of the strategic waterway, through which 20 percent of globally traded oil transits, had “returned to its previous state”, with reports saying Iranian gunboats fired at a merchant vessel as it attempted to ‌cross.

The closure of the strait came hours after it was reopened, with more than a dozen commercial ships passing through the waterway, after a US-mediated 10-day ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Lebanon.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday said in a statement, cited by Iranian state media, that the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports represented “acts of piracy and maritime theft”, adding that the control over Hormuz is “under the strict management and control of the armed forces”.

“Until the US restores full freedom of navigation for vessels travelling from Iran to their destinations and back, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous condition,” it said.

By 10:30 GMT yesterday, at least eight oil and gas tankers had crossed the strait, but at least as many ships appeared to have turned back, having begun to exit the Gulf, the AFP news agency reported.

Later yesterday, India summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against a “shooting incident” involving two Indian-flagged merchant vessels in the strait, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.