The announcement of the strait closure took place after Iran fired at a ship using the illegal route in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that the ship was shot at warning and stopped after ignoring many instructions to use the approved transport corridor.
After this incident... the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the US stops interfering in this area and no ships are allowed to pass" - the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps declared.
This force also said it will target new enemy bases in the region if there are new military actions against this country.
Immediately after Iran attacked a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the US announced that it had launched a series of new attacks targeting Iran.
The latest attacks, starting at 7:15 pm on July 11, Washington time (about 2:45 am on July 12, Tehran time), took place after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards attacked a Cypriot-flagged container ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
The US is causing heavy losses by continuing to weaken Iran's ability to attack civilian ships and free trade ships passing through the strait," CENTCOM said, while revealing that the attack was carried out under the direction of President Donald Trump.
The latest developments threaten to further complicate efforts to salvage negotiations between the US and Iran after the two sides continuously launched attacks and mutual threats in recent days.
Axios and Politico news agencies reported that Washington has given Tehran a deadline of July 11 to cease fire on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and officially acknowledged that this waterway route is still open, AFP noted.
The main obstacle to a final agreement between the US and Iran is the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran affirms that it will control maritime traffic through the strait while Washington demands freedom of movement.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important shipping routes. About 1/5 of global oil and liquefied natural gas usually pass through this route. Therefore, any disruption in the strait is a major concern for the energy market.
Iran closed the strait to commercial transport activities in the conflict with the US and Israel, causing oil prices to rise sharply and disrupting maritime traffic in the region.
Iran affirms that it has the right to regulate travel through the strait and has announced a plan to collect tolls for ships using this route. Iranian officials have also repeatedly declared that travel through the Strait of Hormuz will not return to freedom as before the conflict. The US rejects that position and affirms that commercial transport must be free to move through this route.
According to customary international law, countries in general are not allowed to impose fees on straits used for international maritime activities.
