Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz, Steps Up Attacks on US Targets

Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following a confrontation involving one of its naval units and a foreign vessel, a move that has further escalated tensions with the United States and heightened concerns over the security of global oil supplies.

The latest development came after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it intercepted a ship it accused of sailing through an unauthorised route, fired warning naval cruise missiles and compelled the vessel to halt after it allegedly ignored repeated directives.

The incident was followed by another round of United States military strikes on Iranian positions, further straining relations between the two countries.

In response, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice and launched fresh attacks on US military bases and allied targets across the Middle East, signalling a significant escalation in hostilities despite a ceasefire reached only weeks earlier.

In a statement published by the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, Iranian authorities accused foreign powers of undermining security in one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes through what they described as unauthorised shipping activities.

The military said the latest developments had made the closure of the strategic waterway unavoidable.

“Given the precariousness that was caused by this unlawful interference by outside parties, the Strait of Hormuz is to be closed until further notice and until regional interference by the US ceases,” the statement said.

It added: “No vessel or naval craft will be allowed to pass.”

The IRGC also warned that any attempt by the United States to challenge the blockade would provoke a military response, insisting that American military bases across the region would remain legitimate targets if the confrontation continued.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker and the country’s chief negotiator with the United States, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, also issued a strongly worded message on X, declaring that Tehran would no longer accept what it described as one-sided agreements.

“The era of one-sided deals is OVER,” he wrote.

“We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”

The latest escalation threatens to undermine the peace agreement reached between Tehran and Washington in June, which was intended to halt months of hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and stabilise global energy markets.

Although both countries had agreed to formalise the deal in Switzerland, the truce has remained fragile as both sides continued to exchange retaliatory strikes while negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme made little progress.

Analysts say any prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could significantly affect global crude oil prices, energy supply chains and inflation, given the strategic importance of the waterway to international oil exports.