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 waterway shut until Washington unconditionally lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The announcement, broadcast by Iran’s state-run IRIB broadcaster, marks one of the most consequential escalations in the Persian Gulf in decades, with direct implications for approximately 20% of the world’s oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas supplies.
“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 military warning, declaring that any vessel attempting to approach the waterway would be subject to strikes and would be regarded as acting in “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 sought to frame the measure as targeted, insisting that non-Iranian vessels remain free to transit the strait provided they do not remit any toll payments to Tehran. Iranian authorities have not formally announced the imposition of such a toll, though senior officials have publicly deliberated on the possibility in recent days.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies pass daily — represents an extraordinary pressure point on international markets and shipping lanes. The IRGC’s threat to strike approaching vessels places the burden of de-escalation squarely on Washington, as Tehran frames the blockade as a violation of an existing ceasefire arrangement. Iran’s Vice President has separately stated that control of the Hormuz will be “secured one way or another,” signalling unified resolve at the highest levels of the Iranian state.
The standoff poses severe risks not only to regional stability but to the energy security of nations across Asia, Europe, and the Global South, many of which depend on uninterrupted Persian Gulf transit routes for their oil and gas imports. Shipping insurers, tanker operators, and commodity markets are expected to react sharply as the situation develops.
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