Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say the Strait of Hormuz will stay shut until Washington halts its ‘acts of aggression’, warning other oil routes may face closure.
TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday the Hormuz strait would remain closed until the United States ends its “acts of aggression” while warning that other regional oil export routes could also become targets.
Fighting between the United States and Iran, which began late February, has hampered energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil and gas shipments from the Gulf.
The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they carried out attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait following American strikes on Iranian territory, according to statements by Iranian state television IRIB.
“The enemy should know that now that its maritime raiders have blocked the Indian Ocean route for oil and gas exports to the world — thereby endangering the interests of America’s economic rivals — it should also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies,” the statement said.
They did not elaborate on which routes could be affected.
“Oil and gas exports from the region will either be available for everyone or for no one,” they added.
In a separate statement, the Guards said: “The retaliatory operations of the fighters will continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ends its acts of aggression.”
US officials have previously rejected Iranian assertions that Tehran can control navigation through the strait and have insisted international shipping routes remain open.
