Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, cripples civilian vessel

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declares the Strait of Hormuz closed, striking a civilian vessel attempting to pass through the international waterway.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed early Sunday, saying commercial vessels would be barred from the strategic waterway until the United States ended its military involvement in the region.

The announcement followed an Iranian attack on the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy, which was traveling through a southern route near Oman that shipping companies had increasingly used to avoid Iranian-controlled waters.

The IRGC said several vessels had attempted to pass through what it called an unauthorized route and had ignored instructions to change course. It said one ship was struck by a “warning shot” and brought to a halt.

“Following this incident, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice,” the IRGC said, adding that no vessels would be permitted to pass until “the end of American interventions in this area.”

US Central Command said the GFS Galaxy suffered a fire and significant damage to its engine room, leaving it unable to continue its voyage. One civilian crew member was reported missing.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the vessel’s crew abandoned the ship and entered a lifeboat east of Oman.

The IRGC warned that any military response to the incident would result in a “severe response” and could lead Iran to attack additional US bases in the Middle East.

The United States launched a large wave of strikes against Iran approximately an hour after the Iranian announcement. CENTCOM said US forces hit around 140 military targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots, communications systems and air defense equipment.

The US military said the operation was intended to “degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels” passing through the strait.

Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones toward Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, according to statements from Iranian and regional officials.

It was not immediately clear whether Iran had physically stopped all maritime traffic through the strait or whether the declaration amounted to a warning that vessels attempting to sail without Iranian authorization could be attacked.

Previous Iranian closure announcements during the war sharply reduced shipping without always halting it completely. Some tankers continued to travel through the waterway under military escort, through Iranian-approved routes or along a southern corridor close to Oman.

Shipping activity had already slowed before Sunday’s declaration following attacks on Qatari, Saudi and other commercial vessels earlier in the week.

At least four oil and liquefied natural gas tankers turned away from the strait after those attacks, according to ship-tracking data. Other vessels switched off their Automatic Identification System signals, making their movements more difficult to monitor.

The Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran from Oman, connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Before the war, approximately one-fifth of globally traded oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway.