The Strait of Hormuz, a major route of petroleum products for Europe, Asia and some parts of the world, has been shut amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran.
The Strait was initially shut during the war between US, Israel and Iran, shooting up fuel prices across the world.
But after about six months, the US and Iran signed a peace deal which led to reopening of the route.
However, there have been back and forth between both countries in the last few days, with US President, Donald Trump, saying the deal was over.
On Sunday morning, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shut the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely after firing a warning shot at a vessel attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway.
In a statement carried by the Arabic-language website of the semi-official, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC lamented over what it described as “outside interference from foreign powers” in the form of several shipping vessels attempting to cross the Strait via “unauthorized routes.”
Give 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 reads. “No vessel or naval craft will be allowed to pass.”
The US military said it began launching strikes against Iran — the third round this week — in response to an attack on a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and one crew member is missing.
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The strikes began at 7:15 p.m. ET, according to CENTCOM, and a US official said they are ongoing.
CENTCOM said the US is “imposing a heavy cost” at the direction of President Donald Trump.
“Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Trump have issued public threats this weekend.
