Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have announced that they turned back three container ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the strategic waterway closed to vessels travelling to and from ports belonging to allies of the United States and Israel. The Guards said the move came after what they called “lies” by US President Donald Trump, who had claimed the strait remained open.
According to a statement on the Sepah News website, the Guards warned that any vessel heading to or from ports of countries they described as “allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies” is now prohibited from passing through the corridor. They stressed that Iran would enforce this restriction as part of its response to the ongoing war sparked by US and Israeli attacks on February 28.
Energy market intelligence firm Kpler said it identified two container ships operated by Chinese company COSCO that recently tried to cross the strait but were forced to turn around. The firm noted that the vessels had been stuck in the Gulf since the beginning of the conflict, and this was the first crossing attempt by a major carrier since hostilities erupted.
President Trump had said on Thursday that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strait as a “present” to demonstrate seriousness about possible negotiations to end the war. The Guards’ latest action, however, underscores how fragile navigation in the Strait of Hormuz has become, with any escalation potentially affecting global trade and energy supplies.
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