Audio recording reveals IRGC warning for ships not to transit Strait of Hormuz

London (ANTARA) - The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday evening warned ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz not to transit the strategic waterway, according to an audio recording from a public maritime radio channel. The recording, obtained by Xinhua from a crew member of a commercial vessel near the strait, showed the IRGC navy issuing a warning to all ships operating in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that the Strait of Hormuz had been ‘completely closed’ and any vessel movement inside the strait would be dealt with ‘firmly’. ‘For your health and safety, please completely avoid any movement in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice,’ the recorded message stated. United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said a peace deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened immediately afterwards. Meanwhile, the US military on Friday evening local time said it had shot down several Iranian drones that were targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints and a major route for global oil and natural gas shipments. Maritime traffic transiting the strait has declined sharply in recent months amid rising tensions and attacks on commercial vessels. According to figures released by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) up to Thursday, there have been 46 confirmed incidents involving international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz and in other parts of the Middle East, resulting in the deaths of 14 seafarers. On Wednesday, the IMO strongly condemned an attack on a tanker that reportedly killed three seafarers. The US military later confirmed it carried out the attack.