Iran's Revolutionary Guards Close Strait of Hormuz Amid Failed Negotiations

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until further notice, citing ongoing American military interventions in the region. Earlier, Iranian forces fired warning shots at a vessel they claimed attempted to navigate through an unauthorized route in the strait. The Guards warned that any misuse of this incident by adversaries to justify hostile actions would be met with a "severe response."

In parallel diplomatic efforts, the Iranian Foreign Minister met with his Omani counterpart in Muscat to discuss a proposal aimed at ensuring safe maritime passage through the strait. Oman suggested a plan to divide the strait into two continuous navigation lanes: a southern lane within Omani waters allowing free navigation as before recent tensions, and a northern lane within Iranian territorial waters requiring prior approval from Tehran, with no transit fees imposed by Iran.

Omani state media reported that the talks focused on securing freedom of navigation and agreed to continue discussions at professional and political levels to finalize the agreement. However, according to Arab media sources, Iran rejected the Omani proposal. The closure of the strait marks a significant escalation following recent attacks on commercial vessels and U.S. retaliatory strikes in the area.