Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on Sunday declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed “until further notice” after firing warning shots at a vessel accused of using an unauthorised shipping route, according to state media.
The announcement is expected to heighten tensions between Tehran and Washington, potentially undermining efforts to revive negotiations following recent exchanges of military strikes and escalating threats.
According to reports by Axios and Politico, the United States had given Iran until Saturday to stop targeting commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and to formally affirm that the strategic waterway remained open to international shipping.
One of the major obstacles to a broader agreement between both countries remains the future of the strait. While Iran insists it has the authority to regulate maritime traffic through the waterway, the United States maintains that international navigation must remain unrestricted.
In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the Revolutionary Guards said the vessel was “hit by warning shots and stopped” after repeatedly ignoring instructions to use an approved shipping corridor.
“Following this incident, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region, and no vessels will be allowed to pass through,” the statement said.
The Guards also warned that any further military action against Iran would prompt strikes on what they described as “new enemy bases in the region.”
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passing through the narrow waterway. Any prolonged disruption could have significant consequences for global energy supplies and international markets.
Iran previously shut the strait to commercial shipping during its conflict with the United States and Israel, a move that disrupted regional maritime traffic and contributed to sharp increases in global oil prices.
Tehran has consistently argued that it has the right to regulate passage through the strait and has announced plans to impose transit fees on vessels using the route. Iranian officials have also maintained that there will be no return to the pre-war system of unrestricted navigation.
The United States has rejected Iran’s position, insisting that commercial vessels must be allowed to navigate the waterway freely. Under customary international law, countries are generally prohibited from imposing tolls on straits used for international navigation.
