Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it is closing the Strait of Hormuz to vessel traffic. The statement said the move comes because the first phase of the war-ending agreement has not been implemented, and in response to what it called Israel’s continuing and repeated violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
The Guard Corps said, in effect, that because of these developments, the Strait of Hormuz is being declared closed to ships. The announcement did not give further details on how or when the restriction would be enforced, or whether it would apply to all maritime traffic passing through the strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, linking the Gulf with the open sea. Any closure would have major implications for regional and international maritime traffic.