TEHRAN: Iran on Sunday announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until the United States ends military intervention in the region.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy issued the statement added the strategic waterway will remain shut until the US stop military intervention. The Iranian statement came as the US military said it launched another round of strikes on Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a container ship travelling through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
Iran said it closed the vital Strait of Hormuz after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on an unapproved route. The US Central Command identified the vessel as the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, saying it suffered significant engine-room damage and that a civilian crew member was missing.
Iran said several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an unauthorised route and disregarded warnings to correct their course.
The strait was a channel before the war for one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supplies will remain closed until the end of US interference in the region, the Revolutionary Guards said. Media reports said that the US President Trump ordered the strikes, Central Command said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, the IRGC Navy said the decision to close the strait was taken in response to the security situation resulting from the unlawful intervention of foreign powers, the statement concluded.
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