Iran’s elite defense force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has announced a ban on the passage of ships belonging to the United States, Israel, European countries, and their allies/supporters through the Strait of Hormuz, an international commercial waterway.
The IRGC stated that vessels from countries not subject to this ban—meaning those not allied with the US or Israel—will be able to navigate the Strait of Hormuz unhindered.
IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari conveyed this information yesterday to Iran’s semi-official news agency, Tasnim News.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf and is considered a critical route for international energy trade. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s daily oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments pass through this route.
The Strait of Hormuz is also known as the ‘global gateway for energy’ because Middle Eastern oil-producing countries use this passage to export their oil. Without Hormuz, oil from the Middle East could not be easily supplied to the Western world.
Since the start of the conflict with the US and Israel on the 28th, the IRGC began issuing warnings to the crews of various ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Several vessels were also attacked. According to data from the British organization UK Maritime Operations, ten oil tankers have been attacked since February 28.
