Iran's Revolutionary Guard Closes Strait of Hormuz to US, Israeli, and European Vessels Amid Tensions

Tehran. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital maritime routes, has been closed exclusively for ships belonging to the United States, Israel, European, and other Western allied nations.

According to the state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC stated that in a state of war, Iran has the right to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law and resolutions.

'If ships from the US, Israel, Europe, or their supporting countries are sighted, those ships will certainly be attacked,' the IRGC warned.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly halted since the US and Israel began joint military action against Iran starting Saturday. This has caused a sharp rise in global oil prices and raised concerns about increasing instability in the world economy.