Iran Regains Control Over Strategic Hormuz Strait Region

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC) has announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until the United States lifts its naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports. The announcement was made in a statement carried by Iran’s Student News Agency, stating that any ship attempting to pass through the waterway will be targeted.

In response to this development, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and a senior negotiator in talks between Washington and Tehran on ending the war, described the US naval blockade as “a clumsy and ignorant decision.” The IRGC navy also warned that no vessel of any kind should move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy.

The closure comes after a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was briefly reopened, allowing commercial vessels to pass through the strait. However, more than a dozen ships passed through before the IRGC reversed course. Iranian gunboats reportedly fired on two commercial ships on Saturday, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The US President Donald Trump has warned that Tehran cannot blackmail Washington by closing the waterway and stated that he would put an end to the ceasefire if a deal is not reached before its expiry on Wednesday. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has also stated that the navy is ready to inflict “new bitter defeats” on its enemies.

The situation has returned to a state of tension, with two competing blockades in place. The IRGC’s decision to close the strait appears to be a message from Iran, conveying its leverage and intentions to the US.

Source: Al Jazeera