Senior advisor to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ebrahim Jabari, announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. The military is threatening to attack any ships that attempt to pass through this route.
This was reported by Al Jazeera, citing Iranian state media.
The IRGC command has been putting more pressure on maritime traffic since February 28. The military regularly sends messages to ships via VHF radio frequencies, telling them not to enter the water area, according to S&P Global.
The Iranian side emphasizes that it is ready to take radical steps to completely stop energy exports. Jabari noted that Tehran plans to block the possibility of “a single drop of oil” leaving the Persian Gulf region.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denies closure of the strait
Despite the aggressive rhetoric of the military, Iran’s diplomatic corps is sending mixed signals. In particular, Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi officially denied the country’s intentions to close the strait, emphasizing that no such formal decisions had been made by the government.
However, insurance companies have stopped covering war risks for ships in the Persian Gulf en masse, making transit through this route impossible for most carriers.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key artery of the global energy market, through which 20-25% of global oil supplies pass. The threats from the IRGC and the actual cessation of ship insurance have already caused a serious crisis in the region’s logistics.
