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 recent memory, 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 in its official communiqué. The command further issued an unambiguous warning that any vessel attempting to approach the waterway would be subject to military strikes, characterising such transit as “cooperation with the enemy” — a direct reference to the United States.
The crisis traces its immediate origins to 13 April 2026, when the United States Navy initiated a comprehensive blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports situated on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway is of extraordinary global significance, serving as the transit corridor for approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas supplies. The closure therefore threatens to deliver a severe shock to international energy supply chains, with cascading consequences for economies across Asia, Europe, and the Global South.
Washington has sought to frame its naval blockade in narrow terms, asserting that non-Iranian vessels remain free to transit the Strait of Hormuz provided they refrain from paying any toll to Tehran. Iranian authorities have not formally announced the imposition of such a toll, though discussions regarding the measure have been reported. Tehran’s position, as articulated by the IRGC, is that the US blockade constitutes a violation of an existing ceasefire arrangement — a characterisation that fundamentally contests Washington’s framing of its own actions as permissible under international maritime law.
Iran’s Vice President had earlier signalled the government’s resolve, stating that control of the Hormuz Strait would be “secured one way or another,” underscoring that Tehran views dominion over the waterway as a non-negotiable sovereign and strategic imperative. The closure now places the international community, major oil importers, and shipping operators in an acutely precarious position, as the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint becomes the focal point of a direct confrontation between Iran and the United States.
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