IRGC closes Strait of Hormuz after vessel interception
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice after intercepting a vessel it accused of violating its navigation directives.
In a statement, the IRGC claimed several vessels had attempted to transit the strategic waterway through what it described as "unapproved routes despite repeated warnings.” It said warning shots were fired before one vessel was intercepted after it allegedly switched off its tracking system.
The IRGC blamed "illegal foreign intervention" for the incident and declared that no vessel would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz until "US interventions" in the region end.
The force also warned that any new military action against Iran in connection with the incident would trigger a "severe" response, threatening to target additional US and allied military bases across the region.
The escalation began earlier this week after attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz prompted US strikes on military sites along Iran's coastline. Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Washington then carried out a second consecutive night of strikes on Iranian territory, prompting Tehran to launch another round of retaliatory attacks on July 9.
After US President Donald Trump declared the June 17 Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) "over," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Washington of violating the agreement by imposing new sanctions and deploying additional forces to the region.
