Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says the Strait of Hormuz is staying closed for as long as it sees US military pressure and interference in the region. It made the statement on Thursday.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened as long as the bluster and threats of US officials and their interference in maritime movements in the region continue,” the IRGC said. Normal shipping cannot resume under current conditions, it argued, because continued pressure from Washington would make security in the Gulf harder to manage.
The force also described an overnight episode. Two oil tankers, it claimed, tried to sail through what it called an unsafe route south of the strait after US aircraft encouraged them. Both turned around soon after a major fire broke out on one of the vessels. The claims have not been independently verified.
“Our territory”
The IRGC was blunt about who holds the waterway. “The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the IRGC Navy firmly controls it,” the statement said. No outside power operating “from thousands of kilometers away” would be allowed to interfere, it added.
The strait is among the world’s most important energy transit routes. The remarks came after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a “heavy wave” of strikes against Iran. CENTCOM said the operation answered alleged attempts to hit US forces across the Middle East with missiles.
