Tehran/Washington D.C. (HRNW): Following a wave of US military airstrikes and severe armed clashes along southern Iran, the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff has officially announced the complete closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic.
The Iranian High Joint Military Command issued an emergency decree stating that any vessel attempting to breach the blockade or navigate through the crucial chokepoint will be directly targeted by coastal defense systems and naval units.
Total Blockade Involving Oil Tankers and Commercial Cargo
According to the official declaration, the sweeping transit ban strictly includes international commercial cargo ships and oil tankers. The military command emphasized that the closure is a direct operational response to hostile US movements and violations of Iranian territorial waters.
Iranian state media reported that the military has already put the directive into execution, claiming that two commercial vessels were successfully targeted and hit inside the Strait of Hormuz for non-compliance with the newly enforced Iranian maritime restrictions.
Global Implications and US Stance
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed executing targeted defensive strikes against military installations inside Iran but downplayed Tehran’s claims of an absolute operational blockade, asserting that international waters remain heavily monitored by coalition forces to ensure the free flow of commerce.
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical transit chokepoint, through which approximately one-fifth of the globe’s petroleum consumption passes. News of the armed skirmishes and the blockade has immediately triggered panic across international energy markets, causing a sharp spike in global crude oil prices amid growing fears of a full-scale regional conflict.
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