IRGC Fires on Cargo Ship, Closes Strait of Hormuz Until Further Notice

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at and hit a commercial cargo ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, causing heavy damage to the vessel, Axios cited a US official.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy then announced on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed until further notice, accusing foreign powers of interfering with shipping routes in the strategic waterway.

Al-Jazeera Net

IRGC Commander-in-Chief Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday Iran’s demand for revenge over what he called US-Israeli aggression would remain a lasting priority, adding that those who carried out, ordered and supported the actions would be held accountable.

The IRGC said one vessel was struck by a warning shot after ignoring orders to change course, and it warned that any further US or allied action in response would face "severe" retaliation.

In parallel, Iranian and Omani representatives met in Muscat to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, as the US demanded it remain open to commercial shipping and the Post reported that about 20% of the world’s oil passes through the strait.

Iran’s IRGC navy said early Sunday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after several ships attempted to pass through the strategic waterway, and it said a warning shot fired at the vessels struck and stopped one of the ships.

DW quoted the IRGC navy statement saying, "The Strait of Hormuz is closed until further notice and until the end of America's interventions in the region, and no vessel will be permitted to pass through," while also adding that any "new act of aggression against us" would be met with a severe response.

Al-Monitor

The Jerusalem Post reported that a US official confirmed to Axios that a commercial cargo ship had been struck, after the US had previously demanded that Iran announce that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened to all vessels.

In the same reporting, the US official said, "What we're demanding is that the Iranians issue a public statement that acknowledges all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open, and they're not shooting at ships anymore."

Türkiye Today described the standoff as deepening after the US deadline passed, saying the IRGC declared the strait closed and announced it had intercepted multiple commercial vessels it said had deviated from Tehran’s approved shipping route, firing warning shots at one ship.

Iran’s IRGC-affiliated channel accused unnamed insiders of pursuing a policy of peace and agreement with the United States and asked why Tehran had not issued a stronger military response after what it described as US violations of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, military strikes, sanctions and civilian deaths.

Hardline influencer Ali Gholhaki said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s return from Oman without a joint statement on the Strait of Hormuz fueled speculation that negotiations over the waterway’s future under the US-Iran memorandum of understanding reached an impasse.

Axios reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation were unable to approve a new Omani proposal on the Strait of Hormuz during talks in Muscat on Saturday and took it to Tehran for internal discussions.

The yet-to-be-finalized plan described by CNN cited a source familiar with the talks as keeping two corridors open, with a “Southern Corridor” in Omani territorial waters allowing “free navigation” under pre-war conditions and a “Northern Corridor” through Iranian territorial waters requiring “prior approval” from Tehran with “no tolls” charged.

In parallel, Iran’s IRGC said it published a new image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei saying he was in "complete health," while the IRGC also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed until further notice and warned of severe retaliation for further action.