Iran's IRGC Navy has closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessels, striking two ships for illegal passage, raising shipping risks in this critical area.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has declared that it has shut the Strait of Hormuz to vessel traffic and struck two ships attempting illegal passage, reports Saint Petersburg's PortNews.
SepahNews quoted the IRGC as saying the vessels violated restrictions, but no names, flags, owners, cargoes, or IMO numbers were disclosed. The claim immediately raised risks for shipping through one of the world's main energy chokepoints.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters confirmed that the closure applies to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships, warning that any attempt to transit would be targeted.
US Central Command stated that no US warships had been hit and that commercial traffic continued to move in and out of the strait.
Three LNG carriers - the Lebrethah, Rasheeda, and Marigold - exited the strait with transponders off, bound for Asia, though the timing of their transits was unclear.
The IRGC is an Iranian military organization whose naval arm operates in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz. Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters is Iran's top joint military command. US Central Command is a unified combatant command of the US Department of Defense.
