Iran's IRGC Closes Strait of Hormuz Indefinitely, Blames US Intervention

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy of Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for an unspecified period after a vessel was stopped with warning shots for allegedly ignoring navigational instructions. In a statement, the IRGC said a number of vessels attempted to pass through an unauthorised lane despite repeated warnings to change course and use approved routes. It added that one vessel switched off its operating system, endangering shipping security, and was subsequently halted after warning shots were fired. The IRGC stressed that the strait would remain closed until further notice and until what it called American intervention in the region ends. ‘No vessel will be allowed to pass,’ the statement said. The IRGC also warned that any new attack on Iran would be met with a harsher response, including strikes on other enemy bases in the region. It blamed what it described as unlawful foreign interference for the incident. Iran further accused the United States, Israel, and countries hosting US military bases of bearing responsibility for any consequences should the escalation continue. In June, Tehran and Washington signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding to end a war that broke out in late February and to pave the way for a long-term peace agreement. The deal included an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, the lifting of the US naval blockade against Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the agreement, both sides exchanged attacks this week over commercial shipping traffic in the strait, with the US striking targets inside Iran and Tehran retaliating against American assets in the region.