Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Sunday the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice” after they fired warning shots at a vessel they said used an unauthorised route, state media reported.
The move threatens to further complicate efforts to salvage US-Iran negotiations after both sides exchanged strikes over the past few days and traded threats.
News outlets Axios and Politico reported that Washington had given Tehran until Saturday to stop firing on commercial ships transiting Hormuz and formally acknowledge that the waterway is open.
A key roadblock to a final agreement is the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting it will control shipping through the waterway and Washington demanding unrestricted navigation.
The Guards said the vessel was “hit by warning shots and stopped” after ignoring repeated instructions to use an approved shipping corridor, according to a statement carried by state news agency IRNA on Sunday.
“Following this incident… the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region, and no vessels will be allowed to pass through,” the Guards said.
The Guards also said they would target “new enemy bases in the region” if new military action was carried out against them.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
