Iran’s Revolutionary Guards turn back three ships, declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed to vessels linked to its enemies, escalating regional tensions.
TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping linked to its enemies on Friday.
The IRGC Navy stated it had turned back three container ships of different nationalities attempting to transit the strategic waterway.
The Guards issued the warning on their Sepah News website, directly contradicting recent US claims.
“The movement of any vessel ‘to and from’ ports of origin belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies, to any destination and through any corridor, is prohibited,” the statement added.
This action casts fresh doubt over which vessels can use the conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas.
A data analyst at Kpler, Rebecca Gerdes, said the developments “suggest the situation remains highly unstable”.
The consultancy identified two Chinese COSCO container ships that attempted to cross on Friday before turning around. These vessels had been stuck in the Gulf since the war began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28.
Only 26 ships have been approved by Iran to transit recently, using a route around Larak Island dubbed the “Tehran toll booth”. Most were Greek- and Chinese-owned, according to Lloyd’s List.
The move follows US President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers through as a “present” to show seriousness about negotiations. The US and Iran have been exchanging proposals via Pakistan this week, but no direct talks are confirmed.
Some analysts believe the discussions could be a smokescreen as Trump prepares a potential ground offensive. Thousands of US paratroopers and extra marines are heading to the region.
Iran has signalled it would use its Houthi allies in Yemen to target Red Sea shipping if attacked with ground troops. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned on Thursday of a “military response” if required.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was down 95% from usual between March 1 and 26, according to Kpler. Since March 1, 24 commercial vessels have been attacked or reported incidents in the area, UKMTO data shows.
