Hormuz Strait to Remain Closed Until US Ends 'Acts of Aggression'

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened to keep the Hormuz Strait closed until the United States ends its 'acts of aggression'. This comes a day after the US struck Iranian targets in the region. The Revolutionary Guards are warning that other regional oil export routes could also be targeted.

US officials have rejected Iranian claims that Tehran controls navigation through the strait. However, the Guards say that renewed US blockade has cut off oil and gas exports to the world, including 'America's economic rivals', and warned that routes serving US and allied interests could also be shut.

Oil and gas exports from the region will either be available for everyone or for no one, the Guards said in a statement. US Vice President JD Vance has dismissed Iranian claims that the US can't protect navigation through the strait. But the Guards say that the enemy should know that now that its maritime raiders have blocked the Indian Ocean route for oil and gas exports to the world — thereby endangering the interests of America's economic rivals — it should also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the US decision to restore the blockade 'has, in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum', referring to the interim deal reached last month to halt hostilities and pursue peace talks. The US has struck dozens of Iranian military targets near the strait and elsewhere along the country's coast to 'degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews'.

Iranian state media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas, on the island of Qeshm, and on Bandar Imam Khomeini. Soon after the strikes, sirens rang out in Bahrain, while Kuwait and Jordan reported intercepting drones and missiles fired from Iran. The Guards had hit US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

US President Donald Trump warned he would widen the strikes next week to hit power plants and bridges if Tehran does not return to the negotiating table. 'Next week it gets really bad for them,' he told Fox News.

Iran has long asserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which is at the centre of a flare-up in a war that has rattled the Middle East and pushed up global energy prices. Tehran opened fire on ships for the first time in late February, citing the closure of the Indian Ocean route for oil and gas exports as a reason.

US forces struck Iran and reimposed a naval blockade on its ports as Tehran hit Washington's Gulf allies on Wednesday, vowing the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed until the US ends its aggression. The strikes came hours after Trump backed down on his planned 20 per cent levy on ships using the strait.

A key oil shipping corridor, the Hormuz Strait is at the centre of a major energy crisis that has pushed global oil prices up. The renewed US blockade has led to a sharp increase in oil prices, with some analysts warning that the crisis could continue for months.

Iran has long sought to use the Hormuz Strait as leverage in its negotiations with the West. The Strait's closure could have a major impact on global energy markets, leading to a rise in oil prices and potentially destabilising the global economy.

The crisis in the Middle East has led to a sharp increase in tensions between the US and Iran. The US has accused Iran of launching attacks on ships using the Hormuz Strait, while Iran has denied any involvement.

And the situation is getting more complicated by the day. Iranian state media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas, on the island of Qeshm, and on Bandar Imam Khomeini.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the renewed US blockade has cut off oil and gas exports to the world, including 'America's economic rivals', and warned that routes serving US and allied interests could also be shut. Oil and gas exports from the region will either be available for everyone or for no one, they added.

In a separate statement, the Guards said that 'The enemy should know that now that its maritime raiders have blocked the Indian Ocean route for oil and gas exports to the world — thereby endangering the interests of America's economic rivals — it should also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies.'