Iran threatens to attack any ship that tries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz

The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ebrahim Jabbari, said that the Strait of Hormuz is “closed” and Iran will open fire on any ship that tries to pass through this route. This was reported by Reuters with reference to Iranian state media.

It is noted that such a statement was the harshest warning from Tehran since Iran had already notified shipping the day before about its intention to close the export route.

“We will burn any ship that tries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. We will not allow a single drop of oil to leave this region,” Jabbari said.

Reuters recalls that the Strait of Hormuz is the only outlet for oil exports from the Persian Gulf countries, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil exports pass, so the escalation could significantly affect the market and prices.

After the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, ships in the Strait of Hormuz began to receive messages from the IRGC about the closure of the sea corridor.

Note that Iran on Saturday, February 28, warned about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It was reported that the Iranian military had blocked the strait, but on Sunday, March 1, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that it would not be blocked for civilian ships.

Reuters reported that at least 150 tankers were anchored in the open sea.

Tags: Iran, war