Iran and US clash at sea, Iran fully closes Strait of Hormuz

Clashes between Iranian and United States forces erupted in the early hours of Thursday (11/6) local time in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, whilst Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s main military command, announced the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Initial reports indicate that a number of US vessels located near the Strait of Hormuz were targeted by missile and drone attacks launched by the Iranian armed forces. Explosions were also reported heard in the Sirik and Minab regions as well as the port city of Bandar Abbas, all within Hormozgan Province, and on Qeshm and Hengam islands. Meanwhile, Iranian air defence systems were activated in the western region of capital Tehran and in southern Iran’s Fars Province, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr. Following the incident, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all types of vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships, due to security threats along the shipping lane. The headquarters cited the continuation of ‘hostile actions’ by the US and attacks that occurred earlier the same day in southern Iran’s Hormozgan Province, warning that any vessel attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz would be targeted. This development comes after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced via the social media platform X that its forces had begun launching ‘additional self-defence strikes’ against a number of targets in Iran in response to what it described as ‘unprovoked and continued aggression’ from Iran.