⚓ Iran announces closure of the Strait of Hormuz: Iranian state media reported that the IRGC Navy has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed "until further notice" and until U.S. operations in the Persian Gulf come to an end.
According to the IRGC statement, several ships "incited by foreigners" attempted to travel along what Iran described as an unapproved route and ignored repeated warnings to return to the designated shipping channel.
⚠️ Warning shots fired at a vessel: The IRGC said one vessel that had turned off its tracking systems and, according to Iran, endangered maritime security was stopped after warning shots were fired.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the vessel ignored course-correction orders before being brought to a halt and said no ships will be permitted to transit the Strait until "U.S. interference in the area ends."
⚠️ Iran issues additional threats: The IRGC described the U.S.-backed southern maritime corridor as an "illegal route" and warned that any new attack against Iran under the pretext of the incident would receive a severe response.
The statement further threatened that "new enemy bases in the region will be targeted" if Iran comes under renewed attack.
🔸 Announcement coincides with diplomatic deadline: The announcement came as Iranian diplomats were in Oman, where Washington was reportedly expecting a statement affirming that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open.
Some analysts argue the IRGC's declaration directly contradicted those expectations by formally announcing the Strait's closure, confirming the warning shots against a vessel, and publicly conditioning any reopening on the end of U.S. military operations in the region.
According to those assessments, the announcement also raised questions about earlier Iranian assurances to the United States that the maritime incidents were the actions of an errant element undermining the agreement. Analysts noted that the IRGC Navy itself publicly announced the closure on Iranian state television, reinforcing concerns over who ultimately controls decisions affecting one of the world's most important maritime oil chokepoints.
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