Iran Threatens to Fire on Ships in Critical Oil Transit Route

Iranian Revolutionary Guards officials declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all maritime traffic, threatening to attack any vessels attempting passage. The waterway handles about 20% of global oil shipments, and the closure follows recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran.

Iranian military commanders issued their strongest warning yet regarding the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, declaring the waterway completely off-limits to shipping traffic on Monday.

A high-ranking Revolutionary Guards official announced that Tehran would use military force against any vessels attempting to navigate through the passage, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil transportation.

“The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,” stated Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, according to Iranian state media reports.

The waterway serves as the planet’s most critical petroleum export channel, linking major Gulf oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.

Tehran’s decision to shut down the passage stems from recent military actions by the United States and Israel on February 28, which targeted Iranian leadership. President Donald Trump has publicly encouraged Iranian citizens to remove their current government officials.

Iran responded by launching multiple missile strikes against neighboring Gulf states that house American military installations, including Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Iranian forces also targeted the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman with missile attacks.

This blockade represents the fulfillment of longstanding Iranian promises to seal off the narrow shipping channel if the country faced military aggression.

The strait measures approximately 21 miles across at its most constricted section, yet facilitates the passage of about 20% of daily global oil consumption.

Energy markets have remained focused on escalating tensions between Iran and its longtime adversaries, the United States and Israel, with concerns that expanded conflict could severely impact oil supplies and destabilize the broader region.

The closure compounds existing shipping challenges caused by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces, who have conducted drone and missile attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Gaza conflict began in 2023.