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 the United States unconditionally lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The announcement, carried by Iran’s state-run IRIB broadcaster, 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, characterising such transit as “cooperation with the enemy” — a direct reference to the United States.
The closure follows a US Navy blockade that was imposed on 13 April, which has since cut off all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait. Washington has maintained that non-Iranian vessels retain the right to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely, provided they do not remit any toll payments to Tehran. Iranian authorities have not formally announced the imposition of such a toll, though discussions to that effect have been reported at the highest levels of government.
The strategic gravity of the closure 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, making it the single most critical maritime chokepoint in global energy infrastructure. A sustained closure stands to trigger severe supply shocks across Asia, Europe, and beyond, with cascading consequences for commodity prices and shipping insurance rates.
Iran’s Vice President also weighed in on Saturday, stating that control of the Strait of Hormuz “will be secured one way or another,” signalling that Tehran views the closure not merely as a retaliatory measure but as a sovereign assertion of strategic leverage. The move places the international community — including major oil-importing nations across the Global South — in an acutely precarious position, as the standoff between Washington and Tehran shows no signs of immediate de-escalation.
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