According to Iranian media, the highest operational body of the Armed Forces declared that the strategic waterway will remain closed to the transit of oil tankers and merchant ships, and warned that any vessel attempting to cross it will be considered a military target.

The decision came hours after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported the start of new military operations against several targets inside Iran.

In a statement, CENTCOM indicated that the actions were undertaken on the orders of the commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces and described them as additional defensive strikes in response to what it characterized as continued Iranian aggression.

Shortly before, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced that US forces would launch new operations against strategic Iranian installations, with the aim of weakening Tehran’s military capabilities.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz represents a further escalation of tensions between the two countries and could have significant repercussions for international maritime trade and energy markets, given that a significant portion of the world’s traded oil and gas passes through this waterway.

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