Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Announce Closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday afternoon that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, just two days after a memorandum of understanding took effect. The announcement was described as a dramatic decision and was presented as a response to what Iran called repeated violations of the ceasefire.

According to the Guards, the move was retaliation for the United States’ “blatant violation” of the first clause of the ceasefire agreement and for the “continuous and unending” breaches of the truce by the “Zionist regime” in southern Lebanon. The statement was issued by the Iranian command headquarters, Khatam al-Anbiya.

The announcement followed a quotation from the Quran included in the statement. The Guards said, “They will break their oaths, fight the leaders of disbelief, for their oaths are of no value, so that they may desist.”

They added that this was “the first step” in response to the enemy’s failure to uphold its commitments, and warned that if the aggression continues, additional measures will be planned and carried out to force the enemy to comply. The statement did not provide details on how the closure would be enforced or how long it would remain in effect.