Iran announced in the early hours of this Thursday the “complete” closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all types of vessels and warned that any ship that tries to cross this strategic maritime passage will become “a target.”
The announcement was made by the Jatam al Anbiya Central Headquarters, one of the main Iranian military commands, and comes just hours after a new round of bombings launched by
“The Strait of Hormuz has been completely closed to all types of vessels, including commercial ships”the military command said in a statement collected by the Iranian Tasnim agency.
Besides, the Revolutionary Guard He claimed to have shot at two boats that tried to cross the area after the measure came into force, although he did not offer more details about the incident.
The tension continues to grow
The decision of Tehran It represents a new chapter in the escalation between Iran and the United States in recent days.
Washington launched new attacks on Iranian territory this Wednesday in retaliation for the downing of a US Apache helicopter that occurred last Monday near the Strait of Hormuz. The two soldiers who were on board survived after being rescued.
The American president, Donald Trump, He had previously warned that he would respond forcefully to the incident. In fact, hours before the Iranian announcement, he assured that The United States would act “toughly” against the Islamic Republic.
The Closing of Hormuz It also represents a response to the statements made by Trump about an alleged operation to guarantee the transit of oil tankers through the area.
“Today I am pleased to announce that this initiative has allowed more than 100 million barrels of oil to cross the strait and reach the open market”stated the American president.
The Iranian authorities described these statements as false and rejected the existence of any such operation.
The tension also occurs at a particularly delicate moment, after several days of cross attacks between Iran, Israel and the United Stateswhich have complicated the prospects for an agreement to reduce the crisis in the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz It is one of the most important maritime routes in the world for the transport of oil, so any prolonged interruption of its activity could have direct consequences on international energy markets.
