Tehran, 18 April 2026 — Iran has formally closed the Strait of Hormuz effective Saturday evening, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Command announced, declaring the closure will remain in force until Washington unconditionally lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The announcement, broadcast by Iran’s state-run IRIB network, marks one of the most consequential escalations in the Persian Gulf in decades, with immediate ramifications for global energy markets.
“As a result of the violation of the ceasefire regime, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed from the evening of today [Saturday], until the US lifts the naval blockade,” the IRGC Navy stated. The command further issued an unambiguous warning that any vessel attempting to approach the waterway would be subject to military strikes, as such movement would be regarded as “cooperation with the enemy” — a direct reference to the United States.
The crisis was precipitated on 13 April, when the US Navy initiated a comprehensive blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has maintained that non-Iranian vessels retain the right of transit through the Strait, provided they refrain from paying any toll to Tehran. Iranian authorities, whilst not having formally announced the imposition of such a toll, have publicly deliberated the measure in recent weeks.
The strategic gravity of this standoff cannot be overstated. The Strait of Hormuz serves as the transit corridor for approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas supplies. Its closure — even temporarily — threatens to send shockwaves through global commodity markets, disrupt tanker shipping lanes, and place severe pressure on energy-dependent economies across Asia, Europe, and the broader Global South.
Iran’s Vice President had earlier signalled Tehran’s resolve, stating that control of the Hormuz would be “secured one way or another,” underscoring that the Islamic Republic views the US naval blockade as a direct act of aggression and a violation of an existing ceasefire framework. The IRGC’s formal closure order represents the operationalisation of that political will.
The unilateral imposition of a naval blockade by the United States against Iranian ports — a sovereign nation — has drawn no formal condemnation from Western multilateral bodies, raising urgent questions about the selective application of international maritime law and the broader implications for nations of the Global South that depend on unimpeded access to international waterways for their economic survival.
Find more details at Sputnik International.