Iran has announced complete closure of Strait of Hormuz to shipping
Iran has announced a complete halt to the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating situation in the region.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in a post by the Persian Gulf Control Directorate on the social media platform X
Iran’s announcement regarding the closure of the strait
The ministry stated that the decision was linked to the escalation in the waters and the actions of the US armed forces.
"We hereby inform all applicants that, due to recent unlawful actions by the US armed forces in the region, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible. As soon as the situation stabilises and calm is restored, all transit applications will be considered in the order in which they were submitted, and the necessary permits will be issued," the statement reads.
The PGSA added that permission to pass through can only be obtained by contacting the agency directly. They also suggest following their account on social media platform X to stay up to date with the latest information.
The US reaction and preceding events
The PGSA attached a statement from US Central Command to its announcement, stating that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to shipping.
As reported, the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired warning shots at a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday night and announced that the strait had been closed. In response, the US military carried out its third series of strikes on Iranian territory this week.
US Central Command has stated that the US armed forces are ready to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, despite threats and attacks from Iran.
