Iran claims it has "closed" the strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman and intends to burn any ship that tries to pass through.
Ebrahim Jabbari, an advisor to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps made the statement to Iranian state media Monday, which was reposted in Houthi-linked communication channels.
Vessel traffic through the key passage for crude, petrochemicals, fertilizers and other commodities has come to a virtual halt in the days since the US and Israel began attacks on Iran and that country has fired back. Vessel insurers cancelled war risk coverage for transits through the strait while a number of ships in the region have been hit, including a US-flagged vessel in Bahrain on Monday.
The strait of Hormuz is considered international waters, so no nationl can claim to control it, but it is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, making vessels traveling there vulnerable to land-based attacks.
Iran has a drone carrier ship stationed near the strait that it could use to attack transiting ships, according to shipbroker BRS, and has a history of using small boats to approach vessels. Iran also has short-, medium- and long-range missiles to disrupt shipping in the strait of Hormuz, BRS said.
US attacks Iran's ability to close strait
US attacks in the region may have compromised Iran's ability to close the strait using those means, however.
The US destroyed 11 Iranian ships in the Gulf of Oman in March, bringing the total number of Iranian vessels in the region to zero, the US' Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement. US forces destroyed the Iranian drone carrier Shahid Bagheri at the outset of operation Epic Fury, Centcom said.
"The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades," Centcom said. "Those days are over."
US officials are expected to achieve air and naval superiority that will eventually establish a level of security to enable commercial shipping to resume in and out of the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters, shipping association BIMCO said.
