Iran Announces Full Control of the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced Wednesday that it has assumed full control of the Strait of Hormuz. A strategic waterway through which a significant portion of the world’s oil trade passes.

According to the Fars news agency, a high-ranking naval officer of the force, Mohammad Akbarzadeh. Stated that “the Strait of Hormuz is now under the full control of the Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces.”

At the same time, the military entity reported an attack on more than 10 oil tankers. That attempted to cross the strait despite warnings issued after the declaration of an exclusion zone in the maritime area.

A statement quoted by Fars specified that several vessels were hit with various types of munitions. Rendering them unusable after ignoring repeated warnings that the area was considered unsafe.

Also the statement added that the Strait of Hormuz is “in a state of war” and warned that ships could be damaged by missiles or uncontrolled drones. Recommending that navigation in the area be avoided.

The Iranian Navy announced on February 28th the closure of this maritime passage to international traffic in response to attacks by the United States and Israel against the country. In response, US President Donald Trump declared that the US Navy could escort oil tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz “if necessary.”

It is estimated that approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil transit this waterway daily from various Gulf exporting countries. Making the strait a key point for global energy trade.

These events are occurring amidst the military offensive launched last Saturday by Israel and the United States against Iran. Which, according to official Iranian reports, has resulted in more than 1,000 deaths. Including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking security officials.

In response, Tehran launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military bases in various countries in the region. Actions that resulted in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure and prompted calls from the Gulf Cooperation Council to halt hostilities.

With information from Prensa Latina

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