IRGC: Iran threatens to attack ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz

Tehran (ANTARA) — Ibrahim Jabari, adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Tuesday, 3 March, said Iran would attack any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. ‘The United States is oil-hungry. Let them know that we have now closed the Strait of Hormuz and will not permit ships to pass,’ Jabari was quoted by ISNA News Agency. He estimated that the closure of the vital shipping lane would drive oil prices up to as much as USD 200 per barrel (about Rp3.3 million), potentially causing problems for the United States. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Its northern coast belongs to Iran, while the southern coast belongs to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. The strait is a crucial route for the supply of oil and natural gas liquids (LNG). Seven oil tankers were reported to be detained in Iraqi waters awaiting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, at present there are no vessels at Iraq’s largest port, Umm Qasr. Earlier, on Sunday (1 March), the IRGC said it had launched missile strikes against three oil tankers belonging to the US and the UK in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The following day, they also claimed one US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by two Iranian drones. On 28 February, the US and Israel carried out a series of attacks on various targets in Iran, including in Tehran, with reports of damage and civilian casualties. Iranian state television confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack. Iran then launched retaliatory missile strikes at Israel and US military facilities in the Middle East.